Just a Fun Day in New London

NEW LONDON - Ellie Mae Boecker carefully lined up her shot before tossing a ball at the giant inflatable game of Skee Ball. Boecker was just one of nearly 200 people who came out to join the fun and games of the second annual New London Fun Day Saturday, June 29.

Her mom, Chelsea Boecker, is a volunteer with the New London Holiday Stroll Committee. The committee was in charge of the fun day and the proceeds will be used to fund the 29th annual New London Holiday Stroll in 2019.

Boecker said she enjoyed volunteering and she was glad to see so many people from the community come out to support the town.

'I think it's good for the community and it's something to look forward to (for) the families. They can have plans to spend time with their little ones and we have something for all ages,” she said.

In a world where people are accustomed to finding their own entertainment with technology, Boecker said it's important to give them a chance to escape that vice and interact with each other right in their own town.

'In today's world we're too busy looking down at our phones and it's nice to just get outside and reconnect and build bonds with each other,” she said.

Linda Vacek, organizer of the Holiday Stroll Committee, said she enjoyed seeing the community support brought out by the fun day and for one more simple reason: 'I do it for the kids,” she said.

Michelle Baker, a volunteer and vendor at the New London Fun Day, said for her, the day was an opportunity to meet others in the community.

Baker said she just moved to the area a couple of years ago and was still unfamiliar with a lot of people in town. By having a communitywide event, she felt it was a great place for her kids to play and interact and for her to connect with neighbors and other locals.

'This is something that pushes me to get out of my comfort zone and meet a lot of people,” she said. 'Something like this brings out the ones who have lived here their whole lives, and the newbies like me.”