Kiwanis Club of Glens Falls “Spirits In the Trees” Opening Ceremony
Kiwanis Club of Glens Falls hosted the opening of “Spirits In the Trees” on Sunday night at Crandall Park. The lighting of the trees took place at just after 5:00 PM; of the 100 trees on display, 94 of them were decorated. Patricia Van Buren, coordinator of the event, was on hand in the late morning on Sunday to help set up.
She was very pleased with the number of trees that were decorated: “Yesterday, it was so nice to see people talking and laughing as they decorated the trees. They were intermingling and introducing themselves to one another. It was wonderful to see the community together” she said, as we wandered from tree to tree, admiring each one. Van Buren decorated her own tree: “Celebrating People and The Cats they Love…and a few dogs.”
Just after 4:30, cars streamed into Crandall Park as the daylight faded into a gray snowy evening. People wandered around the trees, admiring each one and greeting neighbors and friends. There were heaters near the stage, and the boy scouts were raising money by offering hot chocolate for a donation.
The event included remarks from Kiwanis Club President Doug Shaver, and Mayor Bill Collins; these remarks were followed by an invocation by Pastor Chris Jewell of Queensbury United Methodist Church. After these remarks, there was a reading of the themes for each of the trees, and the program for the event had a listing of the trees and the people involved in donating it.
Doug Shaver credited past president and current club secretary Patricia Van Buren with advocating for the event: Shaver said from the band stand, “Spirits in the Trees was the vision of one of our past presidents and current club secretary, Pat Van Buren. Pat felt that families and friends, working together to plan and design a tree theme should gather to decorate those trees in remembering a lost loved one, honoring an individual or group dear to them, or celebrating the importance of something in their lives, would be a wonderful event to share with our community.”
Mayor Collins gave the crowd a warm welcome and received cheers from the crowd. “This is an amazing thing that we’ve got here; and I hate to make predictions as Mayor, but I predict that after you see these lights lighting up, that you’ll all wish that I do that I got a tree. You know both my father and my sister passed away years ago right before Christmas, and it makes Christmas both more meaningful and a little more difficult every year. But as I walked out tonight looking at all of these trees I grew with regret that I didn’t take the time to do this. And I bet there’s a few others as you walk through tonight that would think the same thing. And I’ll bet you there will be double the number next year. Great ideas catch on and this is a great idea.”
The Abraham Wing Elementary School donated a tree, celebrating the Abraham Wing Community; second-grader Quentin Straight was on hand to show off the ornament that he had made in art class. When asked about the most exciting part of the event, Quentin said, “Seeing my artwork on the tree and seeing the tree light up.” Quentin was accompanied by his father Eric Straight, his mother Tori Phillips, and his aunt Johna Ferry.
After the trees were lit, there was seasonal music played by the Queensbury High School Madrigals. Trees will be lit every evening throughout the New Year.