In honor of its centennial anniversary, Little Sebago Lake Association (LSLA) is hosting an abundance of events this summer in celebration of 100 years since the association was first formed in 1924. Activities kick off with a golf outing for lake community members and friends, then later a blessing of the lake with special guests from a Native American tribe, and many more festivities for all ages, all summer long.
The first event is an inaugural fundraiser Golf Classic tournament created and planned in celebration of the centennial anniversary. “We hope to do this every year,” said Debra Lavoie, Board of Directors, and centennial Golf Classic organizer. “If the community really embraces it and we have a good turnout, then we will make it an annual event.”
The LSLA Golf Classic will take place on June 24 at Spring Meadows Golf Club in Gray. It starts at 8 a.m. for the lake community and friends to take part in foursomes in contests and win prizes.
“We have been really supported by the Windham and Gray businesses who have donated gift certificates and other gifts in-kind,” says Lavoie. “The tournament costs $125 per person or $500 per team includes golf, cart, contests, and lunch.”
The LSLA Annual Meeting will be held on July 13 at the American Legion Hall in Gray and will end with a social gathering.
The headline event of the centennial celebration will be the Blessing of the Lake at 10 a.m. July 14 on the shoreland of the pasture on the lake. People are invited to bring their boats and listen to the blessing.
“We are thankful for the lake for the past 100 years,” said Pam Wilkinson, President of the Little Sebago Lake Association. “Then we will bless the lake for the next 100 years. A pastor will say some words and lead a chant for the blessing.”
LSLA welcomes special guests that will play an invitation song on the windpipes and drums to welcome spirits and bless the land.
“They will also call for the Four Directions, welcoming the spirits to come forwards and help us in the blessing,” says Wilkinson.
In addition to those events, on July 17 LSLA hosts a “Lake Learn Fun Day” for kids to learn about the water, do some painting, study facts about loons and build fairy houses.
On July 20, LSLA will conduct a “Music on the Beach” event in the lower lake on the east shore for participants to float around and listen to live music.
The annual Pirate Parade will happen on July 27 and will include more than 100 boats with pirate decorations. People are also allowed to decorate their boats for this year’s Olympic Games. The parade begins in the lower narrows and travels to the upper narrows of Little Sebago Lake.
Test your knowledge starting August 3 with an online scavenger hunt called “So You Think You Know Little Sebago Lake.” Participants must take specific pictures of the lake, answer questions about the lake, and submit their answers on the LSLA website.
A classic boat and Amphicar parade also is set for August 10 and anyone is welcome to show off their antique boats. This usually includes Chris-crafts, Corsons, and many others.
LSLA will also host a Waterski show with the date to be determined and an ongoing decoration of the scarecrow that is a three-month event in which people submit their names and each month a name is drawn for that person to decorate the scarecrow how they please, so keep an eye out for the scarecrows changing costumes throughout the summertime.
Little Sebago Lake Associations is a non-profit organization that owns and operates Hopkins Dam. They prioritize protecting, restoring, and improving the lake’s water quality and fragile ecosystem, including the 2,009 acres, 30.6 miles of shoreline and 25 or more islands from degradation. The association is operated by 15 board members and volunteers.
Little Sebago Lake Association’s first annual meeting was held Sept. 6,1924 where they discussed different topics than those of today, such as fishing, ice harvesting, firewood procurement and road maintenance. Since 2002, LSLA has partnered with Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection focusing on a long-term collaborative effort to protect water quality at Little Sebago Lake. <
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