Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, December 8, 2021 - Pike County Journal Reporter - Page 3A
CHRISTMAS: Festival and parade set for this Saturday on the square
FROM PAGE ONE
“I am also struck by
the immense amount of
creativity and artistry
found right here in Pike
County! When we shop
locally, we support our
local culture.”
Santa will be in the pa
rade and will also have a
chair set up for pictures.
He will be on the court
house lawn and will have
books and candy provid
ed by L4GA to give out to
encourage early literacy
and learning. There will
also be an inflatable
bounce house, face paint
ing and balloon twisting
and a stage set up on the
courthouse lawn for the
musical performances.
The festival will end at
5 p.m. Sponsors for the
event include McLeRoy,
Inc., Southside Steel,
First Bank of Pike, United
Bank, K&K manufactur
ing and Johnson Battery.
“This is the last
community event in
the county before our
bicentennial year begins!
Pike turns 200 in 2022, so
it’s time to start getting
to know the county bet
ter than we ever have.
There will be events all
throughout next year, so
let’s get an early start,”
said Brentlinger.
There are
plenty of ways
to enjoy the
spirit of the
season at the
Pike County
Christmas
Festival and
Parade set for
this Saturday
starting at
noon on the
square.
Compassionate Friends to
hold local event Dec. 12
to help grieving families
Grieving the deaths
of children within their
families, members of
The Compassionate
Friends (TCF) of Central
GA, a national self-help
bereavement support
organization, will join
hundreds of thousands
of families worldwide
in lighting candles at
7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12
as an act of symbolic
remembrance.
The local candle
lighting will be part of a
special service held at
7 p.m. at Griffin Center
Pointe Church at 1427
U.S. 41 Bypass, Griffin,
Georgia and will feature
refreshments and a spe
cial candle lighting.
“We ask that all
families arrive no later
than 6:45 p.m. and bring
a framed photo of your
child and let Lisa Brown
know if you would like
to read a poem, sing
a song or just speak
about your child,” said
Brent Taylor.
Annually tens of
thousands of families,
united in loss, light
candles for one hour
during the Worldwide
Candle Lighting, held
the second Sunday in
December. Candles are
first lit at 7 p.m., local
time, just west of the
International Date Line.
As candles burn down
in one time zone, they
are lighted in the next,
creating a 24-hour wave
of light as the obser
vance continues around
the world.
Since 1997, the
Worldwide Candle
Lighting has been TCF’s
gift to the bereavement
community during the
holiday season. This
time of year can be a
very trying time for
those who are grieving
the death of a child, no
matter their age and no
matter how long it has
been since they died.
The 23rd Worldwide
Candle Lighting will
bring together bereaved
families around the en
tire world symbolically
displaying the love that
they have for all their
children who will not
be physically present.
However, when each
candle is lit, the light
of that love will shine
brightly in hundreds of
thousands of bereaved
hearts in all countries
around the globe.
The members of TCF
observe this day in
various ways. Hundreds
of formal programs are
held by chapters and
allied organizations
across the globe and
thousands of informal
candle lightings are
conducted in homes as
families gather in quiet
remembrance. TCF in
vites everyone; whether
they are grieving the
personal loss of a child,
grandchild or sibling,
to join in this touching
tribute.
With the theme “...
that their light may al
ways shine,” the World
wide Candle Lighting
has grown larger every
year with formal ser
vices last year in all 50
United States and Wash
ington D.C., as well as
many countries around
the world. TCF’s nation
al website, www.com-
passionatefriends.org, is
expected to receive and
post information on the
services submitted to
and listed on its website
last year and more. A
Remembrance Book
will be open for posts
on the website, which
will receive thousands
of tributes from family
members and other car
ing individuals.
To contact The
Compassionate Friends
of Central GA, call Lisa
Brown at 770-468-1717
or email the chapter at
cfofcentralga@gmail.
com.
For more information
about the national orga
nization and locations
of its Chapters nation
wide, call 877-969-0010
or visit TCF’s national
website, compassionate
friends.org. The Com
passionate Friends has
a presence in at least
30 countries worldwide
and is the world’s larg
est self-help bereave
ment organization.
SPECIAL PHOTO
Parents remember their lost child during an event hosted by The Compassionate Friends
of Central GA. A special candle lighting event will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12 at Grif
fin CenterPointe Church at 1427 U.S. 41 bypass in Griffin as candles light up across the
world in memory and honor of children lost too soon.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
The Pike County Retired Educators Association November meeting featured guest speakers
Sherri and Terrell Moody. The group collected canned goods for those in need. Pictured are
(l-r) Grace Booker, Mike Beres and Sherri Moody.
Retired Educators help those in need;
invite guests to Christmas program
The Pike County Re
tired Educators Associa
tion held its November
meeting on Monday,
Nov. 22 at Mount Olive
Church. Moody-Daniel
Funeral Home provided
lunch and flowers for the
tables.
“Sherri and Terrell
Moody were guest speak
ers and were very infor
mative. We want to thank
them for their kindness
and support,” said Mike
Beres. “The regular meet
ing focused on continued
work on our scholarship
and a new project of col
lecting books for Head
start. We also brought
canned goods to the
meeting to be distributed
to those in need.”
The PCREA Christmas
program and lunch will
take place at 11:30 a.m.
Monday, Dec. 13 in the
fellowship hall of Mount
Olive Church.
“Please join your fel
low Pike County Retired
Educators to celebrate
the Christmas Season.
Please feel free to bring
a guest,” said Beres.
“Please contact Judy
Turpin at 770-567-3433 to
let her know numbers.
Lunch will be served at
the regular cost and our
own Dr. Perry Buffing
ton will be presenting
our Christmas program.
There will be surprises,
prizes, singing of Christ
mas Carols and lots of
fun. Please remember to
bring a gift under $20 for
the gift exchange if you
want to participate.”
ZDDA hosts Christmas Craft Market
The Zebulon Downtown
Development Author
ity recently announced
the return of last year’s
successful Christmas
Craft Market, which will
be located on the ground
floor of the 1828 Coffee
Company on the court
house square. Shoppers
can park behind the build
ing and enter the Market
using the rear entrance
located at the patio of the
Coffee Company.
“We are excited to wel
come back many of the
craft makers who made
the inaugural Christmas
Market such a big suc
cess last year,” said ZDDA
member Chris Curry.
“Come and discover one-
of-a-kind gifts in wood,
stained glass, jewelry, and
other natural materials.
1 know that many of the
gifts made in Pike County
were purchased and sent
to friends and family all
over the United States.”
On Saturday, Dec. 11,
many of the vendors will
join others on the court
house square for the
Christmas Festival which
will feature a parade, a
visit from Santa Claus and
other activities through
out the day.
The Market will also be
open from 10 a.m. to
3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18.
p MEAL BAPTIST CHURCH %
INVITES YOU TO SEE
$croog G
A Dramatic Interpretation
By
Dwain Penn
Sunday, December 19
11:00 am
5517 HWY 18 WEST CONCORD, GA
[111 LOCATED BETWEEN CONCORD AND MOLENA [jjf]