JACKSON – Children and adults alike enjoyed a weekend of holiday magic recently with the annual two-day Toyland experience at the township senior center and the community’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting held in front of Town Hall.
Toyland kicked off on a Saturday morning and continued on to Sunday. For more than 20 years children and adults have enjoyed their journey through Toyland at the township’s Melvin Cottrell Center for Senior Citizens and the Disabled at 45 Don Conner Boulevard.
The facility gets transformed into multiple holiday themed rooms featuring various costumed characters and backdrops. Several thousand visitors toured Toyland this year which is a joint effort by the Salvation Army, senior center staff and around 100 volunteers including township high school students.
A Jackson family dressed for the occasion enjoys the festivities of this year’s Christmas Tree Lighting on the grounds of Town Hall. Family members include Dr. Angela Hodges, Ciarah Hodges, Bianca Harris, 11, Brianna Harris, 8, Elijah James 1, and Ally Douriet. (Photo by Bob Vosseller)
Senior Center Director Kate Slisky has enjoyed this event since she first came to head the facility back in 2017. She said that the Salvation Army have always been supportive of the center and that they have been focusing on helping the homeless. “They provide the free teddy bears that the children receive. We also give the children a cookie and juice when they come through the door and visit our rooms.”
“We have all new trees. We have the bear dressers who comes in and dresses the bears. We have 25 student volunteers from Jackson Liberty High School Interact Club who will wear costumes and we have another dozen from Jackson Memorial HS’s Art Club,” she added.
They do the face painting and the glue art and Jackson Liberty students will be our superheroes, Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, elves, and Disney movie characters. They will interact with all the children whose experience could be an hour by the time they meet everyone, meet Santa and have a snack so it’s a big deal,” Slisky said.
Santa Claus talks to a boy about his gift list during the annual Jackson Township Christmas Tree Lighting (Photo by Bob Vosseller)
She also credited the help of the township’s Department of Public Works employees who help out considerably every year and her staff members who are the driving force behind Toyland. Her assistant Kristine Jackson even enlisted her parents to help out this year.
“Kristine is the brains behind it all,” Slisky said. “It is up for two days after three weeks putting it up together. We have a lot of new costumes this year.”
One room within the facility is devoted to a miniature train set. That is where Jackson’s resident conductor Craig Brownfield shows off his train collection. He told The Jackson Times that “I’ve been doing this for at least 20 years.”
A few hours later and a short distance away on the grounds of Town Hall the annual Jackson Christmas Tree Lighting took place but not before some music and special costumed guests of their own.
Jackson Township’s Christmas Tree is lit for the holiday season on the grounds of Town Hall. (Photo by Bob Vosseller)
This was the second township tree lighting for Recreation Director Anthony Horta and his assistant Casey Wolfe who coordinated the event. Holiday tunes were provided this year by DJ Phidel Kastro. Members of the Recreation Department provided free hot chocolate for the occasion and some festive item giveaways and some activities.
“Santa Claus is Coming to Town” was heard prior to the arrival of a certain red suited, white bearded visitor from the North Pole who was delivered to the parking lot via township fire truck. Later the tree was lit to full brightness after a countdown. Attendees appreciated the hot chocolate that helped warm up those assembled.
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