Game Night entered by Matt and Amy Wright featuring Lakeopoly using local locations as game pieces was chosen as the 2024 Commodore winner.

Text and Photos
By Deb Patterson
InkFreeNews

SYRACUSE — Another Wawasee Flotilla is in the books with entries all around topping previous years Saturday afternoon, July 6.

There were 16 Flotilla entries and 12 onshore participants this year, with each entry having their “game on.”

Games such as Candy Land, Clue, Mario Kart, Lakeopoly, Euchre, pong night, and others were highlights of this year’s entries. Four neighbors on Kale Island joined forces for a candyland of fun with the Peppermint Forest, Cupcake Commons, Candy Lane and Lollipop Woods.

Dr. Rex Parent, commodore choose the entry of Matt and Amy Wright of Lakeopoly with such playing cards as Johnson Bay, Wawasee Boat Company, Channel Marker, The Frog, Oakwood and CSX.

Candy Cruiser won the DNR Award.

The first place onshore award went to the Kale Island neighbors of Arnold/Pletcher/West/Jarrett with each pier uniquely decorated from an area on the Candyland Board.

“Each year the floats and onshore participants step their game up,” said Holly Tuttle, chairman of the Flotilla. “The committee appreciates it and looks forward for new entries and family participants.”

Diane Dykstra, whose entry won the Midwest Classic Award – also known in some years as the Lake Wawasee History Award, sent a comment to Tuttle stating “We had so much fun. It was the best feeling ever to watch all those hundreds of people on their piers, decks, trampolines, yards and floats. Everyone was happy. I’ve never seen so many happy people in my life.”

Awards will be presented at 11 a.m. Sunday at The Channel Marker.

Flotilla award winners are:

Commodore — Mark and Amy Wright’s “Game Night”

Midwest Classic — Diane Dykstra’s “Jacks or Better”

DNR — Nick and Amy Pate’s “Candy Cruiser”

It’s All Good — David Kirch family’s “Family Pong Night”

WPOA — Ashley Tenney’s “Clue”

First place youth — Tom and Jackie Schnellenberger’s “Candy Land”

Second place youth — Devon Miller’s “Candy Land”

Most Original Youth — Elliott Gilham’s “Mario Brothers”

Most Spirited Youth — Michelle Hatfield’s “What Time Is It? Game Time”

First Place Business/Commercial — Shane Mosiman’s “Momo’s Pizzeria”

First Place nonprofit — Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation and Emily Maggart’s “Conserving Family Game Night”

Most Enthusiastic — Oakwood Resort and Alyssa Trout

Most Original — The Violi Family “Monopoly on the “High Seas”

Neighborhood — Brewer/Eberhardt’s “Channel Ratz”

Onshore award winners were:

First place — KandyKale Island, Arnold/Pletcher/West/Jarrett, Piers 727, 728, 729, 720

Second place — Mario Kart, The Zipfel Family, Pier 319

Most Original — The Game of Redneck Life, The Hudsons, Pier 143-B001

Most Patriotic — Jacinda Metz, Pier 91

Most Spirited — Candyland, Pier 601

Furry Friend — Proud Americans, Diane Nichols, Pier 193

Best Local — Game Night, The Larsons, Pier 341-E

Best Family Fun — Family plays together stays together, Donn Baird, Pier 651

Mystery Award — Game Night – Clue, Barbara Danquist, Pier 394A

King Candy Award — Candyland Kids, Andrea Abel, Pier 231

Castle of Sweets — Lake Candyland, Ennis, Mate, Garofalo, Gitlin, Pier 342

Wawasee Wordle — Scrabble, Lana and Bill McKay, Spink Condo.