Christmas in the Park lighting ceremony held Thanksgiving evening; Santa, Mrs. Claus visit
The lights for Christmas in the Park are on! They were officially lit this Thanksgiving evening (Thursday, November 26) in a perfect way to kick off this year’s holiday season.
The evening at Mountain Lake City Park will began with a brief program in the new Snowflake Garden to honor those being memorialized, followed by free cider and goodies. Santa and Mrs. Claus also stopped by to collect children’s Christmas lists and were available for photo ops.
This year, the Mountain Lake Christmas in the Park Committee established a very visual way for people to honor those who mean – or have meant – so much to them. The additional area added to the Christmas in the Park presentation – a “Snowflake Honor Garden” – features snowflakes honoring a special friend or loved one, to memorialize one who has passed away – or simply to add to the beauty of the park.
As the Christmas in the Park Committee shared at the program, “Silently, like thoughts that come and go, the snowflakes fall, each one a gem.” – William Hamilton Gibson.
Individuals and businesses sponsored the lighting of a snowflake. Each snowflake is personalized with the name of the individual honored or memorialized, and by whom. The proceeds from the cost for each snowflake goes towards the Christmas in the Park fund.
Following is the honoree on each snowflake in the garden, along with the sponsor(s):
+ Loretta Kaufman – from Paul and Diane Harder.
+ Addyson Janzen – from Kim and Delainey Janzen.
+ Jerry Hayes – from the Hiebert family.
+ George Hiebert Jr. – from the Hiebert family.
+ Edwin and Martha Brandt – from the Blom family.
+ Slim Kipfer – from the grandkids.
+ Edna Haffner – from the Lugo grandkids and great-grandkids.
+ Will and Esther Klassen – from Derek Patrick.
+ Sam and Florence Peters – from Gene and Joanne Friesen.
+ Zac Adrian – from Eileen Adrian and Emily and Claire Adrian.
+ Angel – from Brittany Winters.
+ Roy and Louise Epp – from Cassondra Harder.
+ Ross Blomgren – from Mark and Sharron Hanson.
+ Chloe Hasselbring – from Mark and Sharron Hanson.
+ Logan Hanson – from Mark and Sharron Hanson.
+ Dylan Hanson – from Mark and Sharron Hanson.
+ Dayton Hanson – from Mark and Sharron Hanson.
+ William P. Schroeder – from Jan Klassen.
+ Adam Daniel Willaby – from Mary Willaby.
+ Addyson Janzen – from Dean and Deb Janzen.
+ Pam Kliewer – from Dean and Deb Janzen.
+ Helen Woodhouse – from the Helen Woodhouse family.
+ Benjamin Blom – from Bob and Jessica Blom and family.
+ Alyssa Sue and Sutton – from the Radtke family.
+ Doris Strand – from Christina Hanson and children.
+ Donald J. Harder – from Carol W. Harder.
+ Grandma Carol Harder – from Cassondra Harder and Brittany Winters.
+ Good Samaritan residents – from the Good Samaritan Society of Mountain Lake.
+ Bethel Mennonite Church.
Business sponsors for this event include T & K Transport, Gallery Clothiers, Andy’s Auto Repair, Harder’s Barber Shop and Mayberry Realty.
Below are some photos from the special light-it-up Thanksgiving evening:
