Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to reflect that the Light up the Hills display won’t be happening in Acton this year.
Every year, the Christmas lights at Dominion Gardens Park issue in the beginning of the holiday season, helping brighten up the first dreary days of winter.
Light up the Hills, going into its 17th year, makes the town sparkle from Dec. 1 to Jan. 12 until 11 p.m. every night. The lights will also go on in Shelagh Law Parkette in Glen Williams, but the Acton display won't be happening this year due to a lack of volunteers and donations from the Acton community.
The lights in Dominion Gardens Park seem to appear overnight, but it's not without the effort of a team of volunteers.
“It takes a lot of people to make it happen,” said Marilyn Serjeantson of the Light Up the Hills committee.
It takes several days throughout October and November to get the displays ready. Light Up the Hills drapes hundreds of strings of lights around the trees and bushes in the parks.
“It’s a labour of love,” Serjeantson said.
Though setting up the display is the main job for the Light Up the Hills volunteers, the work isn't over once everything's in place. Volunteers are needed for a variety of jobs.
Volunteers spend hours connecting lines and checking them. Once the display is lit, volunteers patrol the park each night to ensure that everything is working properly and to help prevent vandalism.
The organization has a budget of $50,000 each year, which includes storing the displays, hiring professional services for maintenance and repair.
Volunteers help raise funds, sending out letters for donation requests.
“Fundraising is essential,” Serjeantson said. “This is truly a community project.”
Light Up the Hills raises money through its Memory Ball program, which is a way to remember a loved one. Each year, volunteers examine previously purchased balls to ensure they're in good shape and replace those that have been damaged. They also assemble new balls. The balls are placed on one of three Memory Trees. Memory balls can be purchased until Nov. 23.
Anyone interested in volunteering with the Memory Ball program can contact Donna Volpini at 289-890-0197 or by email at [email protected].
Another fundraising effort is the Light Up the Hills draw. Volunteers are needed to sell raffle tickets for the Dec. 13 draw.
Volunteers are also needed for Ignition Night on Dec. 1. Tim Hortons will be supplying hot chocolate and the Lions Club will be cooking hot dogs. Volunteers are needed, though, to manage Santa’s visits, provide entertainment and help with rides on Little Obie, CN's safety train.
Volunteers are also required to take down the displays, collect the lights and supplies and return them to the storage facility.
And though Light Up the Hills is a seasonal project, it takes planning throughout the year.
If you're interested in volunteering with Light Up the Hills, contact Michele Cameron at 647-228-2146. Visit www.lightupthehills.com for more information.
