City of Whiting celebrates 3rd annual Groundhog Day Gala fundraiser for the Whiting-Robertsdale Historical Society

On Saturday, January 31, the City of Whiting kicked off the celebration for the most important animal that shows up every year on February 2. The Groundhog Day Gala was celebrated at the Whiting Knights of Columbus, with community members and leaders coming together to support a fundraiser for the Whiting-Robertsdale Historical Society.

Marty Dybel, local businessman, helped initiate this event along with Whiting-Robertsdale Museum Curator Gayle Kosalko. For many years, Dybel has been very active in the Whiting community for many years. He founded events such as the Pierogi Festival and the Summer with the Symphony program. When it came to the Groundhog Day Gala, this has been an idea that he’s desired to bring to life for many years.

“This has been in the back of my head for a long time,” Dybel said. “With the new facility and the need to raise funds for displays, we were able to make it happen now for the third year. When we first brought it up, someone said, ‘You would be lucky to get 50 people,’ and we ended up with 185 people. Now we have people telling us, ‘This is a keeper. You have to do this every year.’”

In the theme of Groundhog Day, the gala orchestrated a plethora of fun activities related to the holiday traditions.

“We have our super-sized groundhog here to take photos with everyone who shows up,” Dybel said. “We have the puppet groundhog to show off if he will see his shadow or not. There’s a song with a play on words about the history museum just before dinner. We have the Marilyn Gaza Trio playing live music and throwing out stuffed groundhogs as well.”

John Hmurovic, President of the Whiting-Robertsdale Historical Society, values the outpouring support of the community to help strengthen their museum.

“We’re trying to build a strong foundation for the future here,” Hmurovic said. “The other thing that we’ve been doing is we’ve created a good financial foundation. We weren’t there a few years ago, but we’re building a good one now thanks to everyone who is here to support us.”

Ron Tabaczynski is the executive director of the museum, and he’s been pleased with how the event has grown. He believes that Whiting is the perfect place to celebrate an event like the Groundhogs Day Gala.

“I think if history were to have a mascot, it would probably be the groundhog,” Tabaczynski said. “It’s about if we’re looking into the future or stuck in the past. The other part of it is that Whiting is a great place for so many unique events. Pierogi Fest is a great example of that. We’re here to celebrate our cute little guy with the top hat and have some fun with it.”

Financially, Tabaczynski is pleased with the impact this gala has made on the Whiting-Robertsdale Historical Society for the past three years. He hopes that this event continues to become a constant tradition for the long-term future.

“This event has really enabled us to get some good, professional graphics and exhibits with a quality design,” Tabaczynski said. “I’m hoping that’s what we get to do again this year. Right now, we’re only using half the building, so hopefully this event can help us get started on the other half. Anyone who comes to the museum can see that it’s not a kind of school project; it’s a professional museum that showcases the community.”

This is a year marked with many reasons to celebrate for the Whiting-Robertsdale Historical Society. The community hopes to continue supporting one of the most beloved operations the city has to offer.

“It’s a great fundraiser for the Whiting-Robertsdale Historical Society,” Dybel said. “This is also their 50th anniversary, which makes the celebration even more meaningful. Whiting is the place to be, because we have so many things going on here.”

Members of the Whiting community spotlighted a mascot that means so much to them. Everyone got to meet the economy-sized groundhog and watch as the verdict was decided on if Will the Wee Whiting Groundhog saw his shadow. 

The verdict? You’ll have to see for yourself on Monday, February 2.

For more information on the City of Whiting, you can visit whitingindiana.com.