Burlington Township residents come out for the annual tree lighting and toy drive
Stephen Finn
The Sun
Burlington Township residents braved the cold night air last Thursday to come together as a community for the annual tree lighting at Green Acres Park. As the crowd gathered around the bandstand for the big moment, it was treated to holiday music by the Burlington Township High School jazz band, as well as choral performances by students from Fountain Woods and Bernice Young elementary schools.
Minutes before the lighting, Mayor Brian Carlin addressed the crowd to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday and remind them of what is most important.
“I hope you all have the opportunity between shopping, running around, going to dinners and dealing with family to take some time for those you’re close to, your loved ones, and just sit and spend some quality time with them. In our world, we have too few opportunities to do that, and this is the time of year we should all strive to do that,” said Carlin.
Santa Claus arrived to the tree lighting in style riding on his sleigh, as brightly lit as the tree, pulled by a fire truck. A line quickly formed to meet the man of the hour. While they waited, residents shared what they look forward to most around the holidays.
Tiffany Modest brought her sons Avri and Mason. In the spirit of the season, they were dressed in holiday colors and Santa hats.
“Spending time with family, eating good food,” said Tiffany. “Seeing all the lights and how people decorate.”
“Going to sleep and getting a lot of presents,” added Avri.
Tiffany says the people of Burlington Township are what make it special around the holidays.
“You just see the happiness and the joy, the giving back to the community. There’s a lot of needy families all year long but you can definitely see people helping one another,” said Tiffany. “The spirit of giving is just more during the holidays.”
This spirit was evident given the response to the annual toy drive. During the event, residents were able to fill a truck bed with toys for families in need.
Both the tree lighting and the drive were organized by the Burlington Township Heritage Commission. According to chairperson Eileen Liss, they have compiled a list of 83 children who will be receiving gifts through the drive.
“Hopefully we’ll fulfill our duty. I’ll find a way to make sure all 83 of those kids get their toys,” said Liss.
Residents Lisa and Tony Gellner shared some special holiday traditions they are passing on to their children, Danica and AJ. They want their kids to recognize that it is better to give than to receive during the holidays so they are participating in the toy drive by each giving up one of their presents for a family in need. They have also made it a tradition spreading holiday cheer to those working in the community.
“We bake cookies. We start this weekend and we bake right up until Christmas Eve and then we give to local businesses, the fire department and things like that,” said Lisa.
Carlin met with a number of families who came out to participate. He shared what he thinks makes his town stand out around Christmas.
“We’re a community that has that old-fashioned family value. From our schools to our athletic fields to events like this, we bring our families out. These are old-fashioned, some would say corny, things but when you sit there and listen to the kids sing, you light the tree, the firefighters are here with Santa you see we’re a modern town with a touch of Mayberry,” said Carlin.
