Submitted photo Juniors and seniors enrolled in the Conservation/Natural Resource Management program at the Hewes Educational Center again helped build the ice castle for this year’s Mayville Winter Festival. E2CCB students have been assisting in the castle’s construction for 30 years.

MAYVILLE — It was tradition that provided the perfect icebreaker for students enrolled in the Conservation/Natural Resource Management program at the Hewes Educational Center.

Juniors and seniors spent several days at Lakeside Park in Mayville helping to build an ice castle that will be central to this year’s Winter Festival taking place Friday through Sunday.

For years, Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES has played a role in the festival. Career & Technical Education students, aiding scores of community volunteers, organizations, and businesses, assist with getting hundreds of uniform ice blocks out of Chautauqua Lake and into position for the iconic castle.

Warm weather prevented the construction of the castle for the last two years.

This year, BOCES conservation students, under the direction of instructors Jeff Angeletti and Christian Hy, again helped at Lakeside Park for this year’s Mayville Winter Festival. In addition to directing large blocks of ice out of the lake, students also helped build a large snow pile that will be used for sledding. This year, the event is being hosted by Inspire Good of WNY. Students gain several valuable learning experiences, including teamwork, being on an active job site, and collaboration with several businesses and stakeholders within our community,” Hy said. “This has led to jobs for students in the past, and this has already resulted in a few students being offered employment this upcoming summer.”

Hy said the ice castle project allows students to work with “one of our greatest natural resources” utilizing best management practices. Doing so, he said, ensures that the ice is harvested in “the most eco-friendly way possible.”

“The sense of accomplishment, pride, and the feeling of giving back to the community truly is awesome,” he said.

Angeletti, who began working at Hewes in 1998, alluded to E2CCB’s long tradition of helping to build the ice castle. He estimated that Conservation students have been lending a hand for at least 30 years.

“Throughout the years, our class has been depended on to help construct the castle and work with many area businesses that have volunteered their time and resources,” Angeletti said.

The longtime instructor also noted the benefits of helping out each winter.

“Our students are able to rub elbows and work with community business partners to construct a one-of-a-kind ice castle,” Angeletti said. “Many of our students have landed internships or even job opportunities while volunteering at the castle. It’s great to see our conservation students helping the community with a project that has such an impact on our community.”

Burl Swanson, a longtime volunteer for the festival, praised E2CCB for its continued support at the park.

“These kids are so dynamic,” Swanson said. “Without them and all the effort they bring to us, I don’t know if we’d be able to get the ice castle done. You have to move hundreds of blocks, get them into position, and have them ready for the guys who are making the physical castle. These kids do a fantastic job to help us.”

For more information on Career & Technical Education programs available at E2CCB, visit e2ccb.org/programs/career-technical-education/