With the upcoming holiday season, the Milford Prevention Council has put together Milford’s second annual Frosty Fest in downtown Milford. Local families, businesses, and organizations can purchase and decorate a snowman that will be displayed on the Milford Green from December 5 to the first week of January. When the event is over, families can bring their snowmen home to showcase on their own lawns.

     Cathy Kitlasz, the project coordinator of MPC, says, “Milford Prevention Council as a non profit organization whose programming runs largely on donations needed to come up with a way to bring awareness…After seeing a few scarecrow decorating contests, we brainstormed ideas for winter and ‘Frost Fest’ was born… It was the perfect storm of 2020, since it helped foster community.”

     The exciting fundraiser that corresponds perfectly with the holiday season unites the Milford community and helps the MPC spread awareness about their cause. 

     Kitlasz adds, “MPC relies on donations and grant funding to bring programs and awareness to local youth and families to help them make healthy and safe decisions.  Much of our focus in the coming year will be on mental health, marijuana, vaping, and underage drinking.”

     The MPC’s motto is “Educate, Intervene, Prevent,” and their collective and collaborative effort among the community and new youth programs has proven to decrease alcohol and drug abuse.  

     In fact, according to the MPC website, “Past month alcohol use rates have decreased more than 87% since 2009.”

     To further increase this number and awareness, the noteworthy occasion provides an opportunity for the MPC to make an even greater impact, also serving as advertisements for local businesses. For instance, the Woodruff Family YMCA participated and supported the fundraiser.

     Claire Morton, membership coordinator of the YMCA states, “It’s a fun event, especially for the kids, to walk around and look at all the snowmen. It brings their parents out, so people can see the different companies or businesses, and especially small local businesses.”  

     Frosty Fest allows both greater connections in Milford as a whole, and encourages involvement between smaller communities. 

     Morton continues, “We all came together and just had fun with it and learned a little bit about each other as we were decorating.  It was just a fun thing to do as a team-building exercise.”

     Another one of the many local businesses that participated in the Frosty Fest event is Bobby J’s Bait and Tackle. Jason Jadach, owner of Bobby J’s Bait and Tackle, has been running his business for 21 years, and expresses his excitement to participate in Frosty Fest for the first time this year. 

     Jadach says, “It’s a fun thing to do. Milford’s a really strong, small community that fits together and any way that helps support locally is what a lot of Milford people are all about.” 

     When Milford residents see their favorite businesses participating in this event, there is a great sense of community and unity. 

     Jadach hopes to see more small businesses participating in Frosty Fest and for more people to know about the event.