Page 6 - ice2019

Plymouth Ice Festival
Page 4

Going big

Michigan First brings huge sculpture to festival

It's a big deal.
Actually, it's the biggest deal at the Plymouth Ice Festival
this year, using 20 blocks of ice and measuring about 33 by 22
feet, the huge ice sculpture is being sponsored by Michigan
First Credit Union.
“This will be the largest sculpture we have had in five or
six years,” noted James Geitzen president of JAG
Entertainment which produces the festival each year.
Gietzen said he is excited about the size of the sculpture, but
also about the participation of Michigan First, which is the
official credit union of the Detroit Red Wings.
“Obviously, they will have a Red Wings theme to the carv-
ing,” Geitzen said, but they are keeping it under wraps for
now.”
Tijuana Wakar of Ice Dreams in Plymouth and a team of
three will be carving the sculpture, and she also declined to
discuss the design.
“We are still working on it,” she said. Wakar, who with
husband Ted, also a champion carver, has been involved in
the Plymouth festival for more than 20 years.
According to Dan Sugg, the Chief Mortgage Lending
Officer at Michigan First, the theme of the sculpture will in
fact be something including the Detroit Red Wings and the
people at Michigan First are as excited about the sculpture
as Geitzen.
“Not only our staff, but our members can take pride in Tijuana Wakar of Ice Dreams will be leading a team of three
presenting this at the Ice Festival,” Sugg said. Michigan carvers working on the 20-block Michigan First ice carving
First has two offices in Canton Township and recently at the festival this year.
opened the mortgage lending office in Plymouth, off Kellogg businesses and in Kellogg Park on Thursday and Friday, she
Park. said.
“I'm a Plymouth native, so I am really excited about it,” Viewing the huge Michigan First sculpture will not be
Sugg said. “We have 400 employees, eight in Plymouth, and limited to a static experience. Visitors can take a photo with
150,000 members across the state, many in western Wayne,” the creation, post it to #mifirsticefest to enter a drawing to
he said, noting that many employees and members regularly win a number of prizes.
attend the Plymouth event. “It's a unique opportunity,” Sugg said.
Wakar said sculptures of this size present some unique Michigan First is also the sponsor of the petting farm and
challenges but that she has years of experience with the pony rides provided by Carousel Acres during the festival
larger designs. “It is difficult, there is lots of ice and lots of this year.
height,” she said. She and her team will start on the Again, visiting the petting farm and pony rides will have
Michigan First sculpture on Tuesday to ensure that they fin- an additional attraction this year, Sugg said, as the credit
ish by Thursday or Friday, she noted. union will have “elves” walking through the festival distrib-
In addition to the large sculpture, Ice Dreams will be uting “dry snow” to visitors.
carving about 50 other sculptures of various sizes for display The “dry snow” is actually cotton candy, Sugg explained,
at the festival. and is just another way for the credit union to be involved
“We have been working on them for some time now,” with the community event.
Wakar said, and we have several already stored in the freez- “We want to demonstrate our commitment to the commu-
er.” They will be delivered and mounted in front of local nity,” Sugg said. “We think this is a great way to do it.”