You know, momentum and optimism are catchy. Once a ball starts rolling, it gets bigger and it becomes very difficult to stop. The latest great idea becomes reality on Thursday night (tomorrow when this paper comes out!). The idea is called, “Caribou Hometown Christmas.”
Eleven Caribou merchants will be staying open extra hours from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12. Each of the participating merchants will feature a special sale or promotion, serve refreshments and feature door prizes. What fun!
And not only is it fun, but you can see for yourself what great gift ideas we have right in Caribou. The eleven participating merchants are (in alphabetical order): Brambleberry Market, Buzzell’s, Freme’s Jewelry, Gifts Galore, Monica’s Scandinavian Imports, Noyes Flower and Plant Shoppe, Phil’s Florist and Greenhouses, Plourde Furniture Company, Sleeper’s Market, The S.W. Collins Company and Works of Heart.
Trust me, you can find wonderful gifts in all of these places! Call me at 498-6156 if you need directions to any of these fine merchants. Call all your friends and see who can come up with the most logical route to get all eleven stores in for the three hours.
Caribou Hometown Christmas is brought to you by the Caribou Area Chamber of Commerce. Deb Sutherland came up with this great idea and did all the legwork to put it all together. Thank you, Deb!
We had a great evening on Friday, Dec. 6, as our first annual Snowman Parade beat the colder weather and had a good turnout. At the same time the parade started, the Caribou Recreation Department’s Gingerbread Decorating Event and Caribou Area Chamber of Commerce’s Santa’s Workshop began over at the Caribou Wellness Center. Both were smashing successes with a full house of children, parents and grandparents.
The parade meant that Santa arrived at the Wellness Center a little later than in past years and a long line formed. But to their credit, parents and the kids stayed calm and patient and Santa was able to greet all the children while passing out candy canes. Each child also received mittens and a gift bag.
There were sure some beauties for gingerbread houses and at the workshop, children decorated gingerbread cookies, made ornaments and reindeer food and colored Christmas-themed pages. Punch was served, music played and it was a great time.
There are so many people to thank. I hope I don’t forget anyone. Much thanks goes to the Rec Department, one of the best oiled machines in the city. Those folks always go the extra mile to make events a success and this was no different. A big thank you goes also to the Chamber’s Board of Directors members as most were out and volunteered their time. Members of the City Council were also out volunteering as was Tony Mazzucco.
Thank you to the Loring Job Corps which brought 10 young women and men as volunteers. They stayed focused and were gentle and kind to all the children for the entire two hours they were there.
Thank you to Sleepers and Joe at Farms Bakery for the gingerbread houses and Dana at Paradis Shop ‘n Save for ordering supplies and donating 300 gingerbread cookies! Thank you to McDonalds for the punch and the gigantic cooler.
Thanks, as always, to RSVP for donating the mittens. That is such an act of love! Thanks to OfficeMax for printing flyers. A big thank you to Scott Susi and the Fire and Ambulance Department for organizing the parade and Scott makes an awesome penguin. Thank you to all the parents who said thank you and for each child’s smile which is the reason for doing all this in the first place.
I hope I did not leave anyone out as the night was full of volunteers. A big thank you to the businesses and organizations that participated in the parade! And a very special thank you to Mr. Butler who pinch hit for the pinch hitter and saved the day!
Executive Director William Tasker may be reached in the CACC office at 498-6156 or e-mail him at cacc@cariboumaine.net.
