Christmas is coming, and Poland is more than ready to welcome the season. On Saturday, December 3, the Poland Junior Women’s Club hosted the 14th annual Lighting of the Christmas Tree. The Poland Junior Women’s Club organizes various events in Poland, ranging from summer concerts at the Town Hall Gazebo to Easter egg hunts. 

Many activities and holiday events took place for families and children, including carriage rides, ice carving, and letters to Santa. Santa and Mrs. Clause attended the event themselves, ready and eager to take pictures with the children. 

Alongside the activities, the Lighting of the Christmas Tree featured Lena Sophia Dill singing, as well as the Holy Family Youth Choir under the direction of Barb Zorn. At the end of the event, the tree at the Poland Village Hall was lit up after a countdown.

However, none of this would be possible without the dedication of the Poland Junior Women’s Club and their president, Alexis Smith. Smith and the PJWC gathered supplies, booked vendors, and sought sponsorships in order to pull the event together to be the fun community event Poland has known for the past several years. 

Smith describes the event as something that has become “a staple in the community,” which has proven to be true. “People young and old treasure the chance to come out and get in the Christmas spirit,” she says, “Something that kicks off the holiday season.”

For Smith and the PJWC, they had fun and saw their hard work pay off: “We really enjoy the entire event. It really puts you in the Christmas spirit to see how happy and excited the kids are while they are there.”

Though Smith personally loved the youth choir, she also appreciates the effect events such as the Lighting of the Christmas Tree have on the community. She expresses, “I love being part of putting on free events like this for the entire community to enjoy and make memories.”   

Events like the Lighting of the Christmas are not the end of the Poland Junior Women’s Club’s activities, and the Poland community can look forward to many more to come year round. For event updates, visit their website pjwc.org or follow their Facebook page!