Plant City Observer
y Observer
YO UR HOMETOW N. YO UR NEWSPAP ER .
VOLUME 6, NO. 225
YOUR HOMETOWN. YOUR NEWSPAPER
. YO UR NEWS ER . THOUSANDS FLOCKPAP TO DOWNTOWN FOR
CHRISTMAS PARADE
FREE
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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2022
CHRISTMAS GUIDE
2022 PAGE 10
LIGHTS OF LOVE KICKS OFF HOLIDAY SEASON FOR THE 24TH YEAR, THE SFBH FOUNDATION’S ANNUAL EVENT LIT UP MCCALL PARK TAYLOR JENKINS STAFF WRITER
PLANT CITY’S STREETS WERE OVERFLOWING WITH FLOATS, MARCHING BANDS AND CHRISTMAS SPIRIT.
MICHELLE CACERES STAFF WRITER
The holiday spirit was palpable at this year’s Plant City Christmas parade as thousands of people gathered to witness the spectacle. Empty chairs lined the parade route hours before the event started as eager viewers vied for a front-row seat to watch the city’s high school marching bands, fl ats and city leaders decked out in Christmas apparel spread Christmas joy.
Plant City resident Dodie White thought it was the perfect evening for the event. “It was a beautiful night for a parade and we couldn’t have asked for better weather,” she said. The parade included plenty of throws, from beads and glow sticks to candy and jingle bell bracelets. The crowd went wild as the Chick-fil A fl at rolled through while its festive elves passed out mini stuffed cows and cards for a free dessert.
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For the 24th year, hundreds made their way to downtown Plant City to join in the celebration that is Lights of Love, witnessing the towering Christmas tree along with all of the lights and decorations that fill McCall ark and the Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum come to life, flooding the ci y with light and kicking off the holid y season. But the night is not simply just a community event, it’s a fundraiser for the South Florida Baptist Hospital Foundation in partnership with the City of Plant City and First Baptist Church Plant City, aided by their many sponsors. To raise funds, lights on the tree were “sold” and named in honor of their donors or in memory of individuals, with differing levels of donations being recognized by different colored lights. The foundation would then respond additionally with an acknowledgement card to the donor or to the family of the individual that the dedicated light shined bright for. Each year, hundreds of sponsors help raise thousands of dollars for the foundation, a fund
that will directly benefit South Florida Baptist Hospital and its ever-expanding medical services. When guests arrived they were able to share in the festivities including pictures with Santa, participating businesses and booths set up along the perimeter of the park. As the moment drew near, First Baptist Church Children’s Choir performed classic Christmas songs for the crowd and Plant City mayor Nate Kilton took the stage in his holiday-themed suit, thanking all who played a part in making the night a success before South Florida Baptist Hospital chaplain Eric Ayala blessed the evening with his invocation and South Florida Baptist Hospital president Karen Kerr spoke to the crowd. When the shining moment arrived, Santa and Mrs. Clause stepped forward with their trusty reindeer Rudolph to flip the switch and set the Lights of Love tree and the whole surrounding area aglow. The city’s lights and tree will remain lit for the remainder of the month, alongside several decorative gift boxes that each bear the name of the event’s sponsors.