It must be getting close to the festive season because this coming Sunday the community is invited to come out and help decorate Ladysmith and get the town ready for the 31st annual Festival of Lights.
“Light Up was built by the power of volunteers” Paterson said, “and that tradition continues to this day. If we don’t get the volunteers we can’t be ready for the big turn on and that would have a huge impact on the town”.
The Sunday, Nov. 4th community work party is strictly for putting the lights in the trees along First Ave, Bob Stuart Park as well as the Aggie Hall and Roberts St.
The committee volunteers will be doing some of the building decorations and Ladysmith Fire Rescue will be doing lights on the buildings downtown, which they’ve been doing for years.
“The support that we get every year from the community as well as BC Hydro volunteers and the fire department volunteers and others truly is the start of our success, said FOL president Alex Cook.
Paterson added that this year there will be a couple of new decorations as well as some new stringers that go across First Ave.
“As well, Festival continues to fundraise to get more LED lights and we have put 500 more into the Chuck Perrin Memorial Tree at the Aggie Field,” he said.
The Sunday work party starts at 9:00 am and volunteers are asked to show up at the sign in tent in the upper parking lot at the 49th Parallel Grocery.
“The community work party is open to anybody and if a family or neighbourhood wants to come out as a group they can take on a few trees or even a block” Cook said, “that way they can have bragging rights and tell friends, etc … that is theirs when then lights go on!”
The Ladysmith Seniors Centre supplies a hot lunch for all volunteers and the whole event usually takes between three to four hours. For more information folks can call the Festival office at 250-245-5888 or Duck at 250-245-2263.
“Community is what built Light Up and that is what will ensure it will continue,” said Paterson.