With this being only the eighth day of Christmas 2023, some are already planning for Christmas 2024. That includes next year’s massive lighting of Chillicothe’s Yoctangee Park.
And that already has a donation – from Kelli Johnson, the wife of Mark Johnson, Representative of the 92nd District of Ohio. She presented a $2,000 check towards “Shine on Chillicothe” Friday.
As the park lighting setup was being built, she realized she had eight Christmas trees in her basement, some in-box and unused. She donated them to be decorated and go on display in empty Second Street shop windows, each to be auctioned as a fundraiser for Shine On.
The trees attracted almost $2,000, so she rounded it up. She had a display check made, which the Johnsons handed over to Terressa Reep, one of the leaders of Shine On, while they were hanging out in the Pour House after Friday’s swearing in of city and county officials.
Reep says volunteers are working on more for the park display in 2024, and they will already have a second planning meeting soon. Reep and Johnson said they started late on the decorated Christmas tree auction for 2023 – since inspiration came late – but are planning for a bigger effort on that in 2024.
Find more in the article on the Scioto Post, including a video interview.
Kevin Coleman covers local government and culture for the Scioto Post and iHeart Media Southern Ohio. For stories or questions, contact Kevin Coleman or the iHeart Southern Ohio Newsroom.