Spirit of giving
Inaugural Christmas lighting event allows people to give to local charities helping the needy
One way to get into the holiday spirit is to get into the spirit of holiday giving.
And it’s with that idea in mind that the city of Yuma’s Heritage Festivals has been planning Saturday’s Christmas Lighting on Historic Main Street.
The inaugural event kicks off with Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls doing the honors of lighting the city’s Christmas tree. Following that will be live entertainment, plus crafts and other fun activities for children. Vendors will be offering food for sale.
But the celebration also offered the public the chance to help out three charitable organization three help area residents most in need.
The Salvation Army will bring its Angel Tree as part of its campaign to gather Christmas presents for children from lowincome households around the area. Each tag on the tree lists a child’s name, his or her age and the item he or she is requesting as a gift.
People who pick tags from the tree are asked to purchase the requested item and deliver by Dec. 12 it to any of the area fire departments, which are collecting the gifts for the Salvation Army.
Meanwhile, the Yuma Community Food Bank will accept donations of non-perishable food for the families it serves throughout the year. Sought are items, such as canned soups, stews, beans and tuna, and packaged pasta. Food in glass containers should not be brought.
Christmas Lighting on Historic Main Street is one of at least two new celebrations Heritage Festivals has added to the list of family fun events it stages each year.
“I’m really excited about this because our theme is thanks and giving,” said Perlita O. Wicks, Heritage Festivals coordinator.
“We wanted to do something to kick off the season,” she added, “and this is what we came up with.”
The celebration begins at 6 p.m. Saturday, and as its name implies, it’ll take place in the 100 to 300 blocks of Main Street. At 6:15, Nichols is slated to turn on the lights on the artificial tree, which will remain lit and in place near the Yuma Art Center, 254 S. Main St., each night throughout the holidays.
Among the entertainers slated to perform will be Boogie Two Shoes, a Yuma band consisting of guitarist and vocalist Colby Girard, vocalist Gina Flores and Michael Miller on keyboard instruments.
“We’ll be playing mostly Christmas music, and it will not be the traditional stuff but rather the contemporary songs people are used to — ‘Silver Bells,’ ‘Up on the Housetop,’ ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,’” said Colby Girard.
Another favorite the audience can expect to hear will be “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer,” he added. “We will be doing a few popular non-Christmas songs, but mostly it will be Christmas music.”
Saturday’s entertainment also includes three dance performances by participants in the Glam Dance Team by Cindy, a girls’ modern dance program for in San Luis, Ariz.
The program’s youngest dancers, girls between the ages of 4 and 7, and its oldest dancers, 11- to 13-yearolds, will perform modern dances, while the 8- to 10-year-olds will do a dance based on the Christmas character Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer,” says Cindy Rodriguez, the program’s director.
DJ for the celebration will be Morgan Martinez of Yuma.
As with other events hosted by Heritage Festivals, an area will be reserved as a KidZone, where Precious Treasures of Somerton will provide craft activities for free. Also offered for kids in that area will be free jumpers and face painting.
Youngsters and adults can also appear with Santa and Mrs. Claus in photos taken by Doten Photography.
Food and beverages will be available for purchase from vendors.
Christmas Lighting on Historic Main Street marks a debut in community involvement for the Yuma chapter of Together Car Club, which will host a show and shine open to anyone who wants to exhibit a vehicle. The registration fee is $10 plus the donation of a toy of the approximate value of $10.
The fee helps cover the cost of the show and provides funds for Crossroads Mission, while the toys will go to the mission as gifts to children staying there, said Kenny Oporto, president of the car club’s Yuma chapter.
The Together Car Club has existed since the 1970s in Los Angeles, said Oporto, and club members who have moved to the Yuma area formed the Yuma chapter about a year ago. “We thought it was time we stepped out and did something for the community,” he said.
The show and shine participants themselves will collectively pick the best entries in the categories of low rider, hot rod, truck or sport utility vehicle, convertible, original vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle and special interest vehicle. Winners will receive plaques.
There will also be a Best of Show winner, picked by the Crossroads Mission staff, and Lutes Casino is sponsoring an award for the car club with the most participation in the show.
The show and shine will take place in the 100 and 300 blocks of Main Street, and people who want to display their vehicles can register prior to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the location of the event, Oporto said.
“We’re very limited on space, so we only have about 120 spaces (for cars), so it’s on a first come, first served basis,” he said.
Admission to the show and shine is free, Oporto said, although organizers will accept donations of toys from the public for children at the mission.
“We know there are a lot of kids there.”