For the 24th year, hundreds made their way to downtown Plant City to join in the celebration that is Lights of Love, witnessing the towering Christmas tree along with all of the lights and decorations that fill McCall Park and the Robert W. Willaford Railroad Museum come to life, flooding the city with light and kicking off the holiday season.
But the night is not simply just a community event, it’s a fundraiser for the South Florida Baptist Hospital Foundation in partnership with the City of Plant City and First Baptist Church Plant City, aided by their many sponsors.
To raise funds, lights on the tree were “sold” and named in honor of their donors or in memory of individuals, with differing levels of donations being recognized by different colored lights. The foundation would then respond additionally with an acknowledgement card to the donor or to the family of the individual that the dedicated light shined bright for. Each year, hundreds of sponsors help raise thousands of dollars for the foundation, a fund that will directly benefit South Florida Baptist Hospital and its ever-expanding medical services.
When guests arrived they were able to share in the festivities including pictures with Santa, participating businesses and booths set up along the perimeter of the park. As the moment drew near, First Baptist Church Children’s Choir performed classic Christmas songs for the crowd and Plant City mayor Nate Kilton took the stage in his holiday-themed suit, thanking all who played a part in making the night a success before South Florida Baptist Hospital chaplain Eric Ayala blessed the evening with his invocation and South Florida Baptist Hospital president Karen Kerr spoke to the crowd. When the shining moment arrived, Santa and Mrs. Clause stepped forward with their trusty reindeer Rudolph to flip the switch and set the Lights of Love tree and the whole surrounding area aglow.
The city’s lights and tree will remain lit for the remainder of the month, alongside several decorative gift boxes that each bear the name of the event’s sponsors.