Law Enforcement Officers will be arriving in Lake George this Friday, June 15, for the 2nd Annual Leo Weekend. “Officers are coming from across the country from many different departments,” says event founder and organizer Austin Glickman, including county Sheriff Deputies, State Troopers and US Marshalls. One officer is bringing 18 family members to make LEO Weekend a family reunion. Glickman says registrations to date have surpassed last year’s numbers by nearly 100, and the number will climb as he expects more to come in over the next few days and walk-in signups over the weekend.
Glickman, an Officer in the New York City Police Department, launched LEO Weekend in 2017 to provide Law Enforcement Officers and their families a weekend of relaxation, fun and camaraderie. The event, headquartered in the Fort William Henry Hotel, includes seminars, social gatherings and activities, such as a lake cruise and a shooting competition, for active and retired LEOs and their families. Many events are open to the public.
LEO weekend kicks off Friday at 6 p.m. in Shepard Park with Opening Ceremonies followed by the first show of the 2018 Fridays at the Lake Bands and Brews concert series. Singer David Bray, who is billed as a Patriotic Entertainer, will open the show to honor the Thin Blue Line. Bray, a US Navy veteran, is nationally renowned for his unique renditions of patriotic music. Funk Evolution, an Albany-based funk/R&B band, will follow at 7:30 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public.
During the concert, LEO Weekend will be holding a cornhole tournament. The cost to enter is $20. There will be a beer/wine tent, food trucks, merchandise vendors, raffles and a show of vintage police vehicles.
Saturday, June 16, activities move to the Fort William Henry Hotel, 48 Canada Street. The public is invited to view and take photos with the vintage police cars on display. Friends and family of law enforcement officers may attend a free seminar titled, “Recognizing Stress and Preventing Suicide within the Law.” The one-hour seminar, led by a certified Peer Counselor, will begin at 10 a.m. At 5 p.m., local law enforcement agencies will hold a K9 demonstration. Visitors will have the opportunity to see trained police dogs show what they can do.
Saturday night, King Neptune’s Pub, 1 Kurasaka Lane, Lake George, will be hosting a Comedy Show fundraiser. The event begins at 6 p.m. with a 50/50 raffle and a Chinese Auction. Northway Brewery will be taking over the taps. Comedians Kevin Downey Jr. and Eric Potts take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Comedy show tickets are $15 and may be purchased at the door or online at Kingneptunespub.com. Proceeds will benefit LEO Weekend and Adirondack Vet House.
Part of LEO Weekend’s mission is to honor Officers who lost their lives while serving. The organization’s sponsors and private donors make it possible for Leo Weekend to bring the families of fallen officers to Lake George for an expense-paid weekend.
This year, the three children of NYPD Detective Miosotis Familia, escorted by NYPD officers, and the wife and two young children of Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo will be LEO Weekend’s guests. Familia was killed last summer in an ambush attack as she sat in her police vehicle. Tuozzolo was killed in a Bronx gunfight Nov. 4, 2016. Sunday at noon, officers will gather in Shepard Park for a memorial service to honor the fallen. The public is invited.
Glickman expects 400 to 500 to attend the 2018 Leo Weekend. This number includes officers and their families. “There’s so much going on — we keep expanding. It’s going to be great,” he says.
LEO Weekend is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit. Anyone wishing to make a donation to help bring Blue Star families to LEO Weekend may do so online at the LEO Weekend Go Fund Me page.