Poplar Grove hosts third annual Holiday Celebration

By Anne Eickstadt

REPORTER

On Saturday, Nov. 26, Poplar Grove celebrated the start of the holiday season with their annual Holiday Celebration.

“This is our third annual event,” Poplar Grove Board President John Neitzel said. “We were overwhelmed by the response of the community during our first year. We expected around 60 people, and we got over 300. We expect to exceed 300 people again this year. The fire station is included as well due to the success of this celebration.”

The Holiday Celebration is traditionally held at Village Hall in Poplar Grove. This year, it was held on Saturday, Nov. 26, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. The fire station was just a short distance away, separated only by a lawn, a fire training tower, and a small parking lot.

This year, the fire trucks were parked outside, tables set up, and cookies and drinks were available as well. Immanuel Lutheran Church North supervised a Decorate-Your-Own-Cookie craft that the children truly enjoyed.

“Because of the growth we keep having, we keep adding something new,” Neitzel said. “We have two bins for food pantry donations and two Giving Trees. We had an anonymous donor give hats and gloves. If people would like to purchase the hats and gloves, they can hang them on the Giving Trees. The food pantry will receive all the proceeds.”

The good weather on Saturday helped make the celebration another year of success.

“We are very grateful that Mother Nature has cooperated again,” Neitzel said. “Every year, we have had great weather. Every year has exceeded our expectations.”

The Boone County Royal Court in the persons of Miss Boone County Fair Queen 2016 Hannah Gustafson, First Runner-Up Shannon Hart, and Little Miss Boone County Avarie Torres, came out to join the celebration. They joined President Neitzel on stage for a sing-along while awaiting Santa’s arrival to light the Christmas tree.

“Everyone is donating their time for this event,” Poplar Grove board member Owen Costanza said. “The Fire Department, the Rescue Squad, the Board members, and all kinds of donations came in for this event. Everything is donated.”

Costanza ran the popcorn wagon at Village Hall. Everyone who wanted a bag or box of popcorn received one with a smile.

Sponsors for this year’s Holiday Celebration included: Countryside Pacemaker, Edwards Apple Orchard, North Boone County Fire Protection District III, Capron Rescue Squad, State Representative Joe Sosnowski, The Group Fellowship, Immanuel Lutheran Church North, Poplar Grove United Methodist Church, Flanders Insurance, and Branching Out, Inc. Landscape and Design.

The Holiday Celebration offered face painting at Village Hall and cookie decorating for kids in the fire station. Adults entertained themselves with food and hot chocolate in both places. They also stopped at the fire training tower in between the two locations to play a coin toss game. All spare change which was tossed was given to the Boone County Food Pantry.

The Boone County Food Pantry is open every Tuesday from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. It is run by volunteers who greet anyone in need of food assistance. They also offer programs to supply clothing, household supplies, and family gifts to those in need. “Our Family Gifts program is utilized to ensure that every child under 12 whose family visits our pantry is able to celebrate every holiday throughout the year,” the food pantry’s motto states.

The pantry is open to donations and volunteers this holiday season. For more information, go to: www.bbcfoodpantry.com.