The Arctic League has handed out toys on Christmas morning to the needy families of Chemung County for 96 years. As the story goes, it all started in December 1912 when a group now known as "the original forty" met on a winter evening in the Lagonegro Cigar Store at 157 Lake Street. They played baseball during the warm months, but still met at the cigar store the rest of the year. One balmy January day, as the story continues, they decided to play a game of baseball, but before the game ended, it was called because of the heavy snow that began to fall. From that time on they were jokingly referred to as "the Arctic League" baseball team.