Holiday season continues to shine bright in St. Marys

New home tour and WinterLights bring holiday cheer

Merry, bright – and safe – are the watchwords for this Christmas season in St. Marys.

Based on the success of the Kinsmen Club of St. Marys’ “Shunpiker Santa Parade” and the steady flow of vehicles and pedestrians perusing the WinterLights at Milt Dunnell Field, the Town of St. Marys is creating a “Holiday Home Tour” map so our community can continue to find brightness during these dark days.

If you’ve gone the extra mile in decorating your home this year and want to be on the tour, please contact Events Coordinator Andrea Macko at events@town.stmarys.on.ca or 519-284-2340, ext. 249 with your address and family name or the name of your display no later than Sunday, December 6. Participants must agree to keep their homes lit until Sunday, January 3, 2021 - the final day of WinterLights.

On Monday, December 7, the maps will be available to download and print on the Town of St. Marys website and social media, with hard copies available at the St. Marys Public Library and the Friendship Centre. The tour will also be available on the Driftscape app; download this free app to view the tour, plus other interesting historic and cultural information about St. Marys.

The WinterLights have already seen much success this year. A record dollar amount of display sponsorships has been collected, with many sponsors donating more than in years past and many new sponsors joining the roster. All sponsors can be viewed at the donor wall at Milt Dunnell Field or at www.townofstmarys.com/winterlights.

Additionally, within the first 24 hours of the display being illuminated, almost $1,000 in donations were collected from the boxes at Milt Dunnell Field.

Events Coordinator Andrea Macko says “our community’s generosity has been incredible so far this season. We all love the WinterLights display, and the donations go a long way toward offsetting their installation and maintenance.”

The Town is excited to launch a new way to donate to WinterLights. Via a partnership with the Mobile Giving Foundation of Canada, those with a smartphone can text STMARYS to 41010 to donate $5, $10, or $20. One hundred per cent of donations go to the display, and tax receipts are available via email.

“We acknowledge that many WinterLights participants may want to donate, but may not have cash on-hand. Text-to-donate is an easy and modern way to show your generosity,” explains Macko.

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For media inquiries:
Andrea Macko, Events Coordinator
519-284-2340, ext. 249 | amacko@town.stmarys.on.ca