Canfield Rotary sponsors Lighting of the Green

December 9, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

By ABBY SLANKER

The Rotary Club of Canfield celebrated a Christmas tradition with the City of Canfield during its annual Lighting of the Green Dec. 2.

The event offered caroling, a live nativity, Santa, horse-drawn carriage rides, refreshments and a scavenger hunt for the children.

Anthony Nacarato, community chairperson of Canfield Rotary, welcomed the large crowd, which included Mayor Bill Kay, Canfield Township Trustees Marie Cartwright and Tony Bettile and many Rotarians.

“Thank you for joining us to celebrate the season which is upon us. We have a lot of activities planned for this evening, so please enjoy,” Nacarato said.

Helping Nacataro light the Green were Rev. Larry Bowald of the Canfield Presbyterian Church, who offered the invocation and played the guitar and led the crowd in singing the Christmas carols “Away in a Manger” and Silent Night.”

Pastor Jay Eastman of the Canfield Christian Church offered readings of Isaiah 9 and John 1. Pastor Jill Barton, children’s pastor of Rush Church, spoke to the children in the crowd.

Members of the Canfield High School Interact Club provided a live nativity next to the gazebo.

After the ceremony was over, Nacarato encouraged attendees to visit Piccadilly Parlour for hot chocolate, sweet treats and live music while waiting for a horse-drawn carriage ride, which was stationed outside the restaurant. He also told all the children that Santa was waiting for them in the Township Hall and refreshments were also being served there.

Rush Church prepared a scavenger hunt for the children, which took them all around the Green to collect their items.

Local business sponsors included Farmers National Bank, Coventry Lighting, Inner Circle Pizza of Canfield, Something New Florist, Dr. Pamela Barkett, Giannios Candy Company, Nemenz IGA of Canfield, REACH Magazine, Olfield Grapahics, White House Fruit Farm, Piccadilly Parlour, First Night Canfield, Stepuk Tree Farms and Oven Fresh Pizza.

Rotarian family sponsors, which provided the horse-drawn carriage rides, included Tony and Kim Bettile, Doug Sipp and Darlene Tepe, Anthony and Josie Nacarato, Craig and Stephanie Olson, Sean and Wendy Tisone, the Roman families, Gail and Jill McCullough, Mike and Sheryl Raulin, Sam and Donna Boak, Ray and Julie McCune Jr. and Tom and Viv Keller.

MultiMedia Farms provided a large screen, which welcomed the attendees to the Lighting of the Green and helped with the countdown to the lighting.

Also at the event, the Rotary Club of Canfield announced its latest raffle, Something for Him and Something for Her, to support the Polio Plus program of the Rotary International Foundation, which supports the Polio eradication effort.

‘He’ will win four tickets to the New Year’s Day game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns. ‘She’ will win a day of pampering for herself and a friend, including a limo ride to breakfast at the Smokehouse, massages at the Massage Caf , treatments at Magnolias on the Green, lunch at YOLO Grille, then a trip to Komara Jewelers where she and her friend will receive a gift.

Then it’s off to Parks Floral and Robert Senn for a photo shoot. After all that, she and her friend will be whisked off to Nicolini’s Restaurant for dinner. While she and her friend are out, her house will also be cleaned. The package also includes teeth whitening by Mark Squicquero.

Tickets cost $10 or three for $25 and the winner will be drawn Dec. 26.

For more information on the raffle or to purchase tickets, contact a Rotary Club of Canfield member or visit www.canfieldrotary.org.