Main Street tree lighting
part of Saturday’s parade
Contributed photo
NINE-YEAR-OLD Hadley McLean of Presque Isle will be the special guest of honor in Saturday’s Holiday Light Parade in Presque Isle. McLean will light the Lights of Life Tree that will be located on Main Street and officially lit as part of the parade for the first time this year.
PRESQUE ISLE — The annual Holiday Light Parade in Presque Isle always draws thousands of spectators to the Star City for what has become a traditional kickoff to the season in The County. This year, several organizations are collaborating with event host — the Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce — to expand the evening of activity Saturday, Dec. 1.
Most notably will be the lighting of a 20-foot tall tree in front of MPG Truck and Tractor on Main Street. Not just any tree, but one with hundreds of lights representing survivors, family and friends of survivors, caregivers, and others who have been touched by cancer in some way.
In the past, the tree, which is a symbol of the Lights of Life Program that supports The Aroostook Medical Center’s Aroostook Cancer Care, has been located on the A.R. Gould Memorial Hospital campus, and more recently outside the MPG Farm Store on Parsons Street. This year, in honor of TAMC’s Centennial, the project partners have come together with the chamber of commerce to start what they intend to be a new holiday tradition of lighting a tree on Main Street during the parade.
To do so in style, the parade will come to a stop and have a special “celebrity guest” — 9-year-old Hadley McLean of Presque Isle — do the honors. The courageous brain cancer survivor touched the hearts of The County last winter when she turned her birthday party into a community event to raise funds for other youth fighting the disease.
McLean, who has since been named Miss Maine Princess, will ride high in the parade on a large tractor provided by MPG. When it arrives at the site of the tree, the parade will stop so that she can flip the switch and illuminate it.
“This will be a great addition to our festivities,” said Theresa Fowler, executive director of the Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce. “The Holiday Light Parade is an activity that folks from all over look forward to each year. Adding to it with a community tree lighting ceremony will not only enhance the parade, but will provide a festive feel for the community after the event is over and through the remainder of the holiday season. To have a beautifully lit tree in such a prominent place on our Main Street that has such a great cause behind it makes it all the more special.”
Saturday’s parade begins at 7 p.m. The parade begins at the intersection of North and Main streets and travels south through downtown to the University of Maine at Presque Isle.
In conjunction with the activity surrounding the parade and tree lighting, several community organizations will host events and demonstrate the spirit of giving that comes with the season. The expanded list of activities is as follows:
• Open House at TAMC North Street Healthcare Walk-in Clinic from 5-7 p.m. The community is invited to enjoy free hot cocoa, apple cider and holiday goodies prepared and served by the culinary arts students at the Loring Job Corps Center before the parade begins. See the 1912-era patient room and doctor’s office window displays and visit with friends while watching the parade entries arrive for the parade start. As part of the open house, TAMC’s Aroostook Cancer Care will unveil the large poster featuring the December honoree for the County Cancer Hall of Courage. Volunteers will also be on site to accept donations in memory or honor of a loved one for the “Lights of Life” program. For more information, contact TAMC at 768-4044.
• Lights of Life Kickoff Celebration and Parade Viewing at MPG Truck and Tractor from 6-8 p.m. The community is invited to join the MPG crew to view the official Lights of Life tree lighting and enjoy hot apple cider. Volunteers will be on site to accept donations in memory or honor of a loved one for the “Lights of Life” program. The official tree lighting event will take place as the TAMC/MPG/Presque Isle Kiwanis entry leading the parade arrives at the MPG Truck and Tractor Store. For more information call 768-4044.
• Annual Holiday Open House at the University of Maine at Presque Isle beginning at 6 p.m. and running until after the parade. Before, during and after the parade, the community is invited to visit UMPI for its annual Holiday Open House at Gentile Hall and enjoy warmth, fellowship and refreshments. As part of the annual tradition, the University will open its doors during the Holiday Light Parade, providing complimentary hot cocoa, coffee and cookies, as well as a great location for those who want to watch the festivities from inside or warm up and meet friends after the parade. Doors will be open from 6 p.m. on. For more information, contact UMPI’s Community and Media Relations Office at 768-9452. The UMPI Holiday Tree will also be officially lit as part of the evening’s festivities.
• Parade departs from intersection of Main and North streets at 7 p.m.
During the parade, there will be a number of special charitable collections going on. They include:
• TAMC/Presque Isle Kiwanis Club Christmas Basket Toy Collection. A kickoff to the annual Kiwanis Christmas Basket project that provides food and gifts to families in need in the Presque Isle area over the holiday season. TAMC team members and Presque Isle Kiwanians will accept unwrapped toys for children of all ages along the parade route in an effort to fill the TAMC Birthday Buggy. The collection effort will continue in the weeks that follow the parade at all TAMC facilities.
• Catholic Charities of Maine Food and Donation Drive. Volunteers with Catholic Charities Maine will collect non-perishable food and monetary donations to help Feed The County. Watch for the Feed The County truck.
• Central Aroostook Humane Society/SAD 1 Key Club Collection for the Animals. Students in the SAD 1 Key Club will collect donations to help support the Central Aroostook Humane Society. Needed items include bleach, hand soap, paper towels, Purina cat and dog food, newspaper, and non-scoopable litter.
• Northern Maine Community College Children’s Book Giveaway. This marks the ninth year the college will be distributing books to children during Presque Isle’s annual Holiday Light Parade. During last year’s parade, more than 6,500 books were collected and distributed to youth lined along both sides of Main Street. NMCC is once again collecting books to help put a smile on the face of children attending the holiday tradition. Local organizations and individuals who would like to contribute to the cause are invited to drop off books at the college, located at 33 Edgemont Drive in Presque Isle. Books should be brought to the information window in the Christie lobby. To arrange to have larger quantity of books picked up, contact the college relations office at 768-2809.
• Toys for Tots. The six Presque Isle area pageant queens will be collecting toys for the Toys for Tots program along the parade route. A drawing for a raffle to win a brand new snow sled will also be drawn the evening of the parade. Only 700 tickets are being sold at $10.
For more information on the 2012 Presque Isle Holiday Light Parade or to register an entry, contact the Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce at 764-6561.
