On the evening of Thursday, December 7th, 2018, Supervisor Reilich hosted the popular Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony and Family Christmas Party. This year, the Tree Lighting Ceremony took place under the pavilion on the Greece Town Hall Campus. Hundreds of residents both young and old gathered for this special ceremony and to watch the festively decorated tree to the left of the pavilion light the night sky in a beautiful array of colors.
Special guests joined us for the Tree Lighting Ceremony portion of last night’s event: the U of R Yellowjackets! This Rochester-based a Capella group, which has been featured on NBC’s The Sing-Off, gave the crowd an amazing performance. Following the show, Supervisor Reilich took the stage along with Councilmembers Josh Jensen, Mike Barry, Bill Murphy, and Diana Christodaro, Greece Receiver of Taxes Andrew Conlon, Greece Judge Barry, Judge Campbell, and Judge Granville, and Senator Joe Robach. A silence fell over the masses when Supervisor Reilich announced the arrival of Santa Claus. All heads turned to watch as Santa made his way through the crowd and took his place in “Santa’s Chair” on the stage. It was then time for the official Tree Lighting Ceremony! Supervisor Reilich then encouraged the crowds to join him in counting down as the official Tree Lighting Ceremony took place! Children then began to gather for a chance to visit Santa and receive a treat from him: a Christmas ornament filled with candy!
Following the Tree Lighting Ceremony portion of the event, residents gathered in the Community Center for the Family Christmas Party. Activities included face painting, a giant inflatable snow-globe, games, Rockin’ Rick DJ, crafts, free coffee from Starbucks, cotton candy, and hot chocolate! A special thank you to the Greece Public Library Director and staff members who helped distribute 500 free books to kids during the event. For those who wanted to continue braving the cold weather, a marshmallow roasting station was set up outside.
“Despite the chilly weather, this is such a festive time of year” said Supervisor Reilich. “I would like to thank the staff at the Community Center and all others who had a role in organizing the increasingly popular Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony and Family Christmas Party. It makes me happy to see so many residents brave the winter weather to come out and enjoy a time of fun, community, and fellowship.