It's official: FLOATmingos of Hoyt Lake have been named

A community naming contest ended July 12, bringing in over 500 entries

The FLOtilla of four FLOATmingos on Hoyt Lake grew with the arrival of three additional bright pink flamingo paddleboats, making it a true Flam-bouyance. Available for rent through Hoyt Lake Rowboats, the FLOATmingos offer summer fun for the whole family in a safe, socially distant environment.

The Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy and Buffalo Maritime Center launched a communitywide naming contest July 1. They saw over 500 entries submitted, with more than 2,000 names to choose from. Special bumper stickers will be placed on each FLOATmingo with their new name.

“Buffalonians are proud of their city and region, especially when it comes to football and food,” said Stephanie Crockatt, conservancy executive director. “This naming contest was inspirational as there were so many creative names to choose from, and with over 500 entries it was great to see such enthusiasm for this FLOAT-astic project.”

The FLOATmingos of Hoyt Lake include:

√ Billa FLOtilla (in honor of Pancho Billa)

√ Bird on Weck (beef on weck)

√ Cheeri-FLO (Cheerios)

√ FLOganberry (loganberry)

“Our partnership with the Buffalo Maritime Center and Hoyt Lake Rowboats is appreciated in offering this exciting community amenity as a fun boating option this summer,” Crockatt said “As we all continue to value the outdoors and free access to our public parks during these challenging times, an activity such as this is a tribute to the spirit of Buffalo and our cooperative resilience.”

“Boating in Hoyt Lake is a time-honored tradition,” said Joe Koessler, president of the Buffalo Maritime Center board of trustees. “Our partnership with the conservancy aligns with the Maritime Center’s mission of promoting knowledge and appreciation of our community’s maritime heritage, and that now includes our fancy flock of FLOATmingo paddle boats. We hope everyone in the community comes to Hoyt Lake to experience beautiful water views of Olmsted’s Delaware Park.”

Rowboat and FLOATmingo rentals are available daily from noon to 8 p.m., weather depending. Rental rates are $10 for 30 minutes for rowboats or $15 for 30 minutes for the FLOATmingo paddleboat. Follow @Hoyt_Lake_Rowboats on Instagram for regular updates.