Letter: Support made for a magical Lively farm tree-lighting

On behalf of the Anderson Farm Museum Heritage Society (AFMHS), I would like to thank everyone who helped make our 9th Annual Christmas Tree-Lighting Celebration such a magical, Christmas evening at the Anderson Farm Museum on Dec.12.

More than 1,000 people of all ages joined us. It was exciting to see so many young families, with babies & toddlers in strollers this year!

Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived by horse-drawn wagon just in time for our Official Tree-Lighting Ceremony at 6 p.m. After an en-thusiastic welcome from all the little children, Santa lit up the Christmas Tree — followed by Christmas carols and songs sung by choirs, a glee club and individual students from École St. Paul, R.H. Murray PS, Lively District Secondary School (rock band), Wal-den PS, and St. James School, plus the Christ Anglican Church Choir.

Watching and listening to the children singing in front of the Anderson’ Farm House brought the real meaning of Christmas to everyone.

Free refreshments — hot chocolate (sponsored by Tim Horton’s Lively), coffee, Christmas cookies, candies and popcorn — were served by Santa’s Helpers in the Stable and the Granary.

Inside the stable, children visited with Santa Claus; milked NOAFEM’s ‘Northern Maple’ the life-sized cow, received a ribbon and small chocolate milk (sponsored by Farquhar’s Dairy, West Sudbury/Manitoulin Milk Producers and East Sudbury/West Nipis-sing Milk Producers) and checked-out the display of Vintage Toys from the museum collection. Inside the Granary, Mrs Claus and Santa’s helpers had lots of visitors to see the vintage and wooden toys, plus woodworking projects.

Families were excited to meet some of our GS volunteer firefighters with their fire trucks. There were long lines for free wagon wheel ranch rides (sponsored by Lively Physiotherapy) to see the Christmas lights in Lively.

Thanks to everyone who brought donations this year for the KICX 91.7 Coats For Kids drive, Walden Food Bank and Volunteer Firefighters Food Boot Drive. We really appreciate your generous support.

Special thanks to everyone who helped us host our magical Christmas celebration: Santa & Mrs Claus for joining us in Lively again this year; volunteers Everett Matthew (Leuchsen Transportation) our Shuttle Bus Driver in his Santa Costume; LDSS & Lock-erby CSS students; Lloyd the Walden Lion; Walden Srs Woodworkers and AFMHS board & families.

Thank, too, to long-time sponsors GS Heritage Museums, KICX 91.7, Northern Equipment, NO Agri-Food Education & Market-ing, The Sudbury Star and Tim Horton’s Lively.

Thanks to CBC and Northern Life, as well, for helping promote our annual event.

Gwen Doyle
CIO, AFMHS