Quassy wins international awards

12/2/2003

Park honored for community service, advertising Quassy Amusement Park receives two international awards ORLANDO, Fla. - Quassy Amusement Park of Middlebury, Conn., received two awards at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Annual Convention and Trade Show at the Orange County Convention Center here. Quassy was honored at two separate awards ceremonies during the Nov. 17-21 convention, which was attended by more than 30,000 persons from throughout the world. Best Promotion The park received the Best Promotion Award for 2003 for its involvement in a number of community service events as well as new educational programs it has implemented. The award was presented at the general managers and owners breakfast with Quassy owners John Frantzis and Eric Anderson attending. In June, Quassy produced and hosted a three-night outdoor laser light spectacular - “Magic In The Sky” - to benefit the Connecticut Food Bank. Patrons were simply asked to donate non-perishable food items when attending the production, which took place in the great lawn area of the park. Sponsors of the world-class laser spectacular included OptiCare, Banknorth Connecticut, East Coast Auto Exchange, The PowerStation Entertainment and Event Production, News Channel 8, I-95 radio, Meriden Record-Journal, Hartford Wolf Pack, Mott’s, Exxon, Holiday Inn Express of Waterbury, Price Chopper supermarkets and Northern Lights Communications. Quassy produced the laser spectacular through Image Engineering of Baltimore. A new laser production for the food bank will be staged at Quassy in 2004. “3-D” Fireworks For July 4, Quassy developed and hosted a “3-D” fireworks display, which benefited Prevent Blindness Connecticut. Special “3-D” viewing glasses were sold by Prevent Blindness Connecticut for $1 with all proceeds going to the beneficiary. Naugatuck Savings Bank, Nestle and Prime Publishers sponsored the event. Quassy will again host “3-D” fireworks on July 4 with Prevent Blindness Connecticut as the beneficiary. Educational Outreach The award also recognized the park for its educational programs, which reach into regional schools with classroom presentations on journalism, photography and the history of 96-year-old Quassy. Two on-site educational tours are also offered free of charge by Quassy, which is one of only 11 remaining “trolley parks” in the nation. In addition, Quassy was acknowledged for hosting a variety of additional events to assist local hospitals, Special Olympics and other nonprofit organizations. The IAAPA Service Awards recognize members “for unparalleled dedication and tireless effort in the industry and their respective communities.” “Quassy Amusement Park has always prided itself by being a philanthropic organization - serving the surrounding communities,” said George Frantzis II, vice president of Quassy. “Although we never expect to receive accolades for what we do - we do it from the heart - it is a great honor for the park owners to receive this international recognition for the things we have done in our communities.” The owners overseeing the daily operations of the park include the two Frantzises, Anderson and Julie O’Connor. Brass Ring Award Quassy was also honored at IAAPA’s 85th annual convention with a Brass Ring Award for a print advertising campaign. The award-winning ad was for the July 4 “3-D” Fireworks program to benefit Prevent Blindness Connecticut. Ron Gustafson, the park’s public relations director, accepted the award for Quassy. “The owners of Quassy really have to thank Ron for his hard work in giving the park what is now obvious - a facelift in our ad campaigns for the 2003 season,” George Frantzis II said. “It’s a great honor to be recognized for his hard work and pleasure to have him on our staff.” Quassy designs all of its print advertising, brochures and other promotional pieces in-house. The Brass Ring Awards honor parks and attractions worldwide for outstanding promotions work. The 2003 competition included more than 600 international entries. Quassy Amusement Park is located on Route 64 in Middlebury, Conn., and features more than two dozen rides and attractions. The lakeside facility also has food concessions, games, a redemption arcade and pavilions for private outings. The park’s Quassy Beach is located on sparkling Lake Quassapaug where “Saturation Station,” an interactive water play area, was constructed in 2003. For more information about Quassy, call (203) 758-2913 or 1-800-FOR-PARK. IAAPA is the largest international trade association for permanently-situated amusement facilities worldwide. The organization represents more than 5,000 facility, supplier and individual members from more than 85 nations, including most amusement parks and attractions in the United States. IAAPA strives to help members improve their efficiency, marketing, safety and profitability while maintaining the highest possible professional standards in the industry. IAAPA’s offices are in Alexandria, Va. --- 30 --- With Quassy logo For more information, visit these Web sites: International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions: www.iaapa.org Quassy Amusement Park: www.quassy.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------