Women hope to extend drive for ‘Merry Christmas’ greeting

They had no idea their effort would generate so much interest.

By DON SHILLING

VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR

The Merry Christmas billboard campaign will have a sequel.

Five area women raised enough money to pay $2,800 for four billboards last month, and still have $1,600 remaining.

“We’re not going to go away,” said Joanne Brown of Poland.

That means a bigger splash for Christmas 2008.

First, the women hope the money in the bank will help them afford higher-profile locations for their messages, which encourage people to say “Merry Christmas” instead of “Happy Holidays.” The women are hoping for spots near the Southern Park and Eastwood malls.

Second, they are talking with people in other regions who are interested in starting similar billboard campaigns.

Finally, the local women are considering going beyond billboards, such as distributing buttons that promote a Merry Christmas greeting.

“The more we talk about this and the more we hear about this, the more we realize how important this is,” Brown said.

The women — including Pat See of Canfield, Linda Bennett of Niles, Judi Hanna of Boardman and Laurie Kramer of Youngstown — think the Happy Holidays greeting takes away from the religious significance of Christmas.

The women had no idea their effort would grow this big.

In early December, they paid for a billboard on U.S. Route 224 in Canfield and one on U.S. Route 422 in Niles. One said, “Why have you stopped saying Merry Christmas?” and the other said, “I miss hearing you say Merry Christmas.” Both were signed, “Jesus.”

The women asked friends to contribute to their cause. Word spread and soon they had enough money for two more billboards on South Avenue in Boardman.

Brown said she still has neighbors who say they will be sending money.

“At first, we didn’t want any money left over, but it just keeps coming in,” she said.

More than 200 people have contributed to the campaign. Donations are accepted at Merry Christmas Billboards, P.O. Box 175, Niles, OH 44446.

Also, the women have been invited to speak about their campaign to a church group.

Brown said they are optimistic that the campaign will spread to other areas and gain national publicity. Family members and friends in Indianapolis and Marietta, Ga., have asked about organizing campaigns there, and Brown said the women have potential contacts in other cities as well.

They tested the water locally with a button campaign and were pleased with the response. The women used their own money to buy 100 buttons that said, “It’s OK to say Merry Christmas to me.” They gave the buttons to friends and family members.

“We could’ve given away 1,000 without even batting an eye,” Brown said.

They bought the buttons from a New York group and are considering whether to use the same buttons in 2008 or make up ones with another message.

“We’re not going to let go of this,” Brown said. “We feel this is very important.”

shilling@vindy.com