NORWAY — It’s all about the snowshoes, and two Oxford County community organizations have teamed up to make that known.
“It seemed tragic that we were in the snowshoe town of America and you couldn’t buy an American-made snowshoe on Main Street,” said Lee Dassler, executive director of Western Foothills Land Trust.
The land trust bought the 165-acre Roberts Farm overlooking Pennesseewasee (Norway) Lake in 2008 to develop into a four-season recreation area. The venue seemed perfect to host a physically active snowshoe festival, so volunteers started one six years ago.
Then, last year, the United Way of Oxford County hired Kim Preble as its executive director. “One of the things I really wanted was to promote healthy activities, especially in the colder months when people tend to bundle up inside,” Preble said.
Their shared goal made Preble and Dassler fast friends and, almost immediately, Preble asked Dassler if the United Way could adopt a piece of the snowshoe festival.
“For me, it’s been a really nice sharing,” Dassler said, “and United Way is doing all of the organization for the races.”
The United Way inherited the snowshoe “running” events. Western Foothills Land Trust retained the frolicsome family snowshoe events.
On Friday night, in honor of Norway fiddler and snowshoe craftsman Mellie Dunham, an old-fashioned contradance attracted nearly 100 nimble-footed folks to the Norway Grange Hall in celebration of winter.
When races began at 10 a.m. Saturday, the thermometer displayed single digits.
The ladies trounced the men in the 2.5-kilometer Snowshoe Run. First-place Catie Hodgkins and second-place Kelly Hodgkins finished ahead of first-place male Jasper Vlaun and second-place Jeff Preble.
Six people competed in the event.
The 5k Snowshoe Run had 13 registered contestants. Jesse Wall finished first and Scott Berk was second among the men; Sue Williamson finished first and Deidre Gallagher came in second among the women.
The longest event, the 10k Snowshoe Run, drew only three participants. Scott Berk finished first, followed by Lee Dassler in the women’s division, and Scott Vlaun finishing third.
Roberts Farm also hosts the final events of the festival, the Family Snowshoe Games, on Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon.
Sunday — Valentine’s Day — will conclude with the uber-romantic Snowshoe Wife Carry event, known as the “Cupid Dash.” It is the world’s only known race of its kind and a real crowd-pleaser.
Wife-carrying race events originated in Finland, but even the frost-proof Finns haven’t yet adopted this winter version.
Sunday’s temperatures are predicted to be more severe than Saturday’s, and festival organizers said Sunday activities could be canceled if it is too cold. To check the schedule, and to confirm whether events will be held, go to wfltmaine.org.
Roberts Farm is at 64 Roberts Road in Norway. There is no charge to attend or participate in events.
Interested in snowshoe history?
Paul Cote’s collection of Native American, “cottage industry” and factory-made snowshoes will be on display from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 14, at Pa’s Antique Attic, Route 26 in Oxford.
A $3 donation is requested, with proceeds to benefit the Norway Food Pantry.
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