Union residents got a chance to ring in the Christmas season a little early last week in downtown.
The city held its first ever Tree Lighting in the mini park. Residents and businesses brought their own ornaments and decorated the tree prior to the ceremony. Then, shortly after 6 p.m., Mayor Wayne Welch flipped the switch to turn the tree’s lights on for the first time this Christmas season.
While the City of Union and the Union Chamber of Commerce helped put on the event, the city’s newest Christmas attraction was the brainchild of local Girl Scouts Juniors Emalee Robinson and MariAnna Martin.
According to Union Troop Leader and the Neshoba/Kemper service unit manager Beca Martin, the two scouts wanted to do a community service project to help them achieve the Bronze Award, which is highest award a Girl Scout Junior can achieve.
“The community service project has to be something that the community can continue in the future,” Martin said. “So, the girls thought of doing a communitywide Christmas tree lighting ceremony.”
So the girls made a pitch to the Union Chamber of Commerce, and the chamber agreed to help them with the event. Beca Martin said the girls then went out and secured help from local businesses, including Union Mercantile, Union Supply, Piggly Wiggly, J.G. Alexander, Union First Baptist and ECCC, to help put on the event.
“The girls did the planning for the event, even down to the details of what to do with the leftover cookies,” Beca Martin said. “It was a great event, and I think the community really embraced it. We had a good turnout for this being the first year. They did a great job.”
For more information on the local Girl Scouts, log on to www.gstroop3257.com
