Family’s passion lights up the season in Gilman

If the light display in the Gilman Park seems to have doubled in size this year, it might be because Fred Romig and his family have a bit of an obsession with Christmas lights.

Fortunately, their enthusiasm is wellreceived by the community and surrounding areas.

Nine years ago, Fred and his wife, Cheryl, were at Roger and Marilyn Newman’s home for an anniversary party.

“Jim Brost was standing there, Butch Podolak and myself, and I said, ‘You know, it would be nice to light the park up a little bit,’” Fred stated.

He continued, “Jim Brost said, ‘Let’s get it done.’” It was too late in the season to get anything going that year. “Then Jim passed away, and we did it that next year,” Fred continued. “I always wanted to have Christmas lights.”

This is the eighth year that Fred and his family have lit up the park. Their purpose is to bring Christmas to every child in Gilman. “How many kids never get out of Gilman to see something bigger? Now we can bring them here,” Fred stated.

There isn’t a single tree or structure within the park that isn’t lit up. Lights have even started to trickle outside of the park. The army tank on the corner of South Second Avenue and West Riverside Drive is a new addition this year with Fred joking that he had to string the extension cord through the culvert.

He has his obsession perfectly under control, right?

“We keep adding,” Fred said. “We buy more lights every year.”

The majority of the work to put up the lights is done by Fred and his family along with a few other people.

“We live down there from October until January,” said Cheryl.

Fred, Cheryl and their family spend every weekend at the park until the display looks just right.

“My family is wonderful,” said Fred. “And the school kids.”

High schoolers from Gilman High School have volunteered their time during the school day for the last three years. This season, Fred and Cheryl saw 41 kids come to the park to help. “If it wasn’t for that help, it wouldn’t happen,” said Fred.

Fred gave them a little bit of direction and turned the kids loose in the park. He stated that in just two and half hours, the high schoolers took care of lighting all the trees and the baseball fence. They also made the posters and some of the face-inhole cutouts, and the Romigs framed them.

“They learn to volunteer,” Fred said of the high schoolers. “Volunteerism is down, and it’s across the country.”

The light display isn’t the only tradition that’s growing; the annual Christmas Party in the Park has expanded as well.

“The first year we had 75 people,” said Fred.

The Romigs hosted their first party with just one bonfire. When the Community Choir and church groups caroled, party goers had to gather close to hear them. Now, with an updated speaker and microphone system, the carolers can be heard throughout the park.

Fred estimates that the party drew close to 500 people this year. In addition to the improved sound system and another two bonfires, the event now boasts hay rides which require two vehicles due to the size of the turnout. The grand finale is a fireworks show.

“We went through 55 gallons of hot chocolate, 120 pizzas donated by Nestle, we had cheese donated from Marathon, Gilman Cheese, Thorp Supervalu, and Hansen’s IGA,” said Fred. “We went through probably 1,000 cookies.”

The hot chocolate was donated by Angel Brost of the Gilman Corner Store. Sam’s Club gifted eight flats of cookies which came to just about 700 cookies altogether. Poplar Grove 4-H club made the other 300 cookies. The club also served the snacks and hot chocolate for the event.

And the best part? The party is completely free to attend thanks to the contributions of time and money by the community and local businesses. The village pays the electric bill and everything else is covered by donations and the raffle.

Attendees include people from Stanley, Lake Holcombe, Cornell, Medford, and Thorp.

“I just love to see the little kids having fun,” said Fred.

But that isn’t the only reason that the Romigs continue the tradition. Their other mission is to keep Gilman thriving. “Keep it alive, keep the town alive,” said Fred. “Put Gilman on the map.” Fred hopes that by continuing to put time and money back into the community, they’re creating an opportunity for other people to see how special the town really is.

“We have wonderful people in town, it’s just a nice place to live,” he said. “I’m not moving, I’ll stay here the rest of my life, it’s a wonderful place.”

Fred, Cheryl and their loved ones will be back in the park after the first week in January when the lights finally get turned off and tucked back into their boxes until Fred digs into them again.

“It’s so dark down there” Cheryl said of the park once the lights are taken down.

But even though the park will soon be dim and quiet with the decorations stored away and the music turned off, we can all take comfort in knowing that Fred and Cheryl will be out there again before we know it, turning our little slice of Taylor County into a scene from a Hallmark movie.

If we can keep Fred away from the lights that long, that is.