Celebrating the History of Roni Raccoon on Mascot Day

Each year, June 17 is National Mascot Day, set aside to appreciate the fun mascots bring to events and organizations. On this day, ORDA recognizes Roni , the Olympic mascot of the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid. Created by Don Moss, Roni is a raccoon, a familiar animal in the Adirondack Mountains where the Olympic Village of Lake Placid is located. The name Roni comes from the word racoon in Iroquoian, the language of the native people from the region of the State of New York and Lake Placid, and was chosen by Lake Placid school children. This video offers additional historical detail and insight into the mascot of these monumentally exciting Winter Games held in a small town in upstate NY that is among only three cities worldwide to ever host two Winter Olympics.