Tree lighting ceremony draws crowd in Red Bay
RED BAY — Members of the community gathered downtown Nov. 30 for the annual tree lighting ceremony, which brought students, local organizers and families together to welcome the holiday season.
Mayor Mike Shewbart opened the event and thanked those who helped plan the evening. He said he was encouraged to see strong attendance despite the cold temperatures.
“We were excited to see such a good crowd,” Shewbart said. “The students did an outstanding job.”
The program included musical performances from the Red Bay Elementary choir under the direction of Susan Gillentine. A handbell group performed.
The Garden Club took part in the ceremony as well. Member Mary-Kathryn Wiggins read the poem “A Prayer for Peace,” which was written by Emma Frances Bullen when she was a student at Red Bay High School.
Bullen won first place in a statewide Garden Club contest for the poem and later received the key to the City of Red Bay.
“It went well. I felt the prayer poem really spoke volumes to each person, especially in the times we are in right now,” Wiggins said. “If you listen to every word, it calls for us to love one another and be peaceful with each other.”
She said the message encouraged reflection as the holiday season begins.
“Have patience with each other and most of all pray for each other. I was so honored to read such a powerful message to the community as I represented the Garden Club,” she said.
The “Every Light a Prayer for Peace” program began in Alabama in 1951 through the Garden Club of Alabama. Communities across the state have continued the tradition each year by pairing a prayer with the lighting of a Christmas tree. Red Bay includes this observance as part of its ceremony.
This year’s program also included a brief recognition of Glen Vinson, longtime Piggly Wiggly owner and First Baptist Church deacon who died in March.
After the readings and performances ended, the crowd joined in the countdown as the city’s Christmas tree illuminated the downtown area.
