Free Great Escape day for Lake George area workers

LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (NEWS10) - For a second year, Warren County is giving its seasonal workforce a chance to enjoy a night of summer fun free of worries. The county's Summer Workforce Celebration is taking to the park, rides, and games of Six Flags Great Escape again this September.

Hospitality, retail, and tourism staff involved in the Lake George region's summer season get free access to The Great Escape from 5 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 12. The county started the event last year, welcoming over 200 members of the local summer workforce to the park to thank them for keeping things running through the Lake George area's busiest season.

“We’re looking forward to celebrating our tourism workforce who choose to work in our county for all the right reasons," said Warren County Workforce Development Director Liza Ochsendorf. "They are the backbone of our economy and we hope they stay here. Employee retention has proven to be more important than recruitment because we don’t have a surplus of people to replace workers who leave. This event allows us to celebrate and hopefully retain our greatest asset, our people.”

It's not just a time to celebrate. Employers have the option to nominate their employees for awards to be given out at the park, with nominations open now. Categories include Excellence in Customer Service, Sales Extraordinaire, Emerging Leader, Patience of a Saint, Team Spirit, Lake George Royalty, and the Frank Dittrich Hospitality Management Award - new this year, and named in memory of the late general manager of the Inn at Erlowest on Lake George.

Advance registration is required for the Summer Workforce Celebration. Registrants can fill out a form identifying what kind of business they work for or operate.