28th annual Lights of Love ceremony to kick off holiday season

The Greencastle Civic League invites members of the Greencastle and Putnam County community to the 28th annual Lights of Love ceremony to kick off the holiday season on Tuesday, Dec. 4.

The 6 p.m. ceremony will be staged at the Putnam County Courthouse.

All community members are invited to come together for a special evening honoring loved ones, music by the DePauw University School of Music and the Greencastle school choirs, children sharing how they can make Greencastle a brighter place, and beautiful holiday decorations on the square.

Lights of Love will include a program designed to help everyone into the holiday spirit followed by the arrival of Santa.

In addition to musical performances, winners of the Lights of Love essay contest will read their submissions. Winners of this year's essay contest include Stephen Dombrowski, Elizabeth Johnston, Abby King, Maddie Landry, Lilly Meyer, Tristan Million, Elle Patterson, Sophie Riggle, Matylin Scott, Selene Seaman, Hailey Wood, Trey Wood and Ivy Wright.

Also, The Greater Greencastle Chamber of Commerce will present the "Spirit of Christmas Award," recognizing the best holiday window decorations by a local business.

The event will conclude with winners lighting the luminarias and ceremonial tree, which will be planted later in the Joanne Haymaker Tree Grove at the Big Walnut Sports Park.

Luminarias, which have been decorated by Greencastle K-12 students, will be lit in honor of and in memory of loved ones. All community members are invited to purchase lights for $5 each. To buy a light in advance of the ceremony, interested persons may email Lights of Love Co-Chairs Lisa McCoy and Laurie Hardwick at gccivicleague@gmail.com.

The Greencastle Civic League thanks its sponsors of Lights of Love 2012: Asbury Towers, Bittles and Hurt Funeral Home, Brad Tucker and State Farm Insurance/Financial Services, Collins Evans Real Estate, Cross Cuts Hair Design, Dale Oliver DDS, DePauw University, Fig's Follies, First National Bank, Greencastle City Councilor Jinsie Bingham, Greencastle Hometown Dental and Dennis Knuth DDS, Harp Services Indiana, Headley Hardware, HGB Insurance and Bonds, HMSB Insurances Services Inc., Hopkins-Rector Funeral Home, Jedele Enterprises/McDonald's, Little Hands Daycare, Monical's Pizza, Old National Wealth Management and Putnam County Commissioner Nancy Fogle.