Author Spotlight
Connor Vogel
3…2…1!
Prairie Village Mayor Eric Mikkelson flipped the switch with help from Indian Hills Middle School student Libby Morris and Prairie Village Police Department Sergeant Luke Roth, and the lights in Corinth Square came to life.
The annual Mayor’s Holiday Tree Lighting celebrated its 38th year on Nov. 29. The event raises awareness for the Mayor’s Holiday Tree Fund — a resource providing funding for utility and food assistance, home maintenance and other needs for community members.
“[The tree lighting] is one of the best parts of being the mayor,” Mikkelson said. “This just makes me remember how wonderful, generous and fun this community is.”
Besides the tree lighting, the entertainment provided that the event included performances from Dancerz Unlimited, the Belinder Elementary Choir and SM East Drumline along with an appearance by Santa Claus.
“Everybody comes together [for the lighting], the shops, the city, the foundation, the residents and all the schools,” said Mikkelson.
Understandably, when Kansas City pictures itself at Christmas, it’s often associated with the Country Club Plaza lights which are celebrating their 90th year.
While the tree lighting isn’t as publicized as larger celebrations like the turning on of the Plaza lights, it’s a tradition Prairie Village embraces.
“It’s small-town America bringing people together,” Mikkelson said. “Everybody knows each other and it’s just a wonderful, heartwarming event.”
The city plans this ceremony in coordination with the Prairie Village Foundation and its president Marianne Noll, along with other local charities to pinpoint specific necessities when distributing the resources.
“We’re seeing a lot of people who need help with utility [and rental] assistance, and if it’s an especially cold winter, that’s going to get even worse,” Noll said. “Those are the two things that the biggest amount of money goes into.”
The city begins planning in August every year as it coordinates for the foundation’s single biggest fundraiser, according to Noll.
“We must work with the Merchants Association to coordinate the tree, which they put up and block off the space,” Noll said. “We also get merchants to donate [food and drinks] for the event.”
As the organization’s single biggest annual event, this period is responsible for about 75 percent of all the money the city raises annually for the foundation according to Noll.
But donating toward the Tree Fund is not all residents can do to help, as the needs associated with the holidays require numerous volunteers and donations for event like this and their Gingerbread House Party, where families raise money for summer recreation scholarships going to qualified Prairie Village families later this year, according to Noll.
The celebration is not just a fundraiser for the foundation, but a chance to help the community by shining light on the everyday issues the city’s residents face according to Mayor Mikkelson. Last year, the city raised $20,000 to distribute to local families.
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