About Us

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The first ever run was in 2012 and was called the Fall Fun Run with 36 boats, starting off shore and ending at the Waterfront who put on a chicken wing buffet for the boaters.  It was an opportunity for the performance boats to get one last run in as the boating season was coming to an end.  It gained momentum thanks to social media.  In 2014 the run changed weekends to the 3rd weekend in September which coincided with a chicken wing fest that the Waterfront put on.  In 2015 the run raised $1,000 for a local boat mechanic's family who passed away just before the run in a motorcycle accident.  2016 is the year a lot changed for the run.  The run grew to over 100 boats and was large enough that the Waterfront shut down the restaurant for just the boaters.  It is also the year someone suggested it be named The Oneida Lake Chicken Wing Run.  The Forbus family decided the money raised from the event should go to the Sylvan Beach Fire Department as a thank you for all they do all year to help the community and all they do to help the boating community.  The Sylvan Beach Fire Department had been apart of the very first run in 2012 and had supported the run every year since.  2017 is the year the run doubled in size and had 216 boats and the year we began staging the boats out by classes with flag boats.  We were told by local businesses that they were so busy on Friday that they ended up having to have their vendors come back in to restock their food and drinks for Saturday.  They thanked the Forbus family for creating the event that had kept the village alive during a time when normally all of the businesses would have shut down and have stated that the weekend of this run is their largest amount of sales they do all year.  2019 is the first year that the Jordan family began helping with the run when a last minute change left them with the need for a photographer.  Virginia stepped in to volunteer and the Jordan Family has volunteered and shown up to help them with the run every year since.  2022 was the Forbus family's last OLCWR.  During their time putting on the run they raised a lot of money to help support the SBFD.  They were able to buy a side by side that has saved countless lives and is such a valuable tool that can get places that the fire trucks cannot.  They were able to buy a new jet ski which helps with rescues on the lake and many other things.   Everyone was concerned when the Forbus family announced they were moving and were worried that the days of the OLCWR might have come to an end. The Jordan family headed up a committee to help the SBFD keep the run going.  In 2026 a non-profit corporation was formed to continue the run and it is our goal to build on what the Forbus family started and keep making this run better than ever by promoting safe boating practices, supporting local community engagement and local charitable causes that support us here at home.

It has been a long standing tradition to support the local fire departments that surround Oneida Lake that serve and protect our local communities.  The money raised from the OLCWR is used by departments for much needed tools and equipment.  Past runs provided funds to buy a new jet ski and trailer to help with water rescues and a side by side to help with access to beach front calls (both in Sylvan Beach and Verona Beach State Park), medical calls, brush fires, snowmobile incidents, etc. for the Sylvan Beach Fire Dept.    

Starting in 2026 the new non-profit has decided that every year we will choose new local charities to donate the money to while still supporting local fire and EMS.