Our Volunteers - Now Taking Applications

The 2008 Agencies and Organizations

A special Thank You to the City Council and The Parks and Recreation Department for approving the 2008 Lights of Hope Christmas Light Display. Barbara Mac of the Parks Dept. assisted us with the paperwork and approval of this years event. This long standing tradition in Anderson, South Carolina will open Thanksgiving Day and run through December 25, 2008.  Volunteers will work on setting up the lights at Darwin Wright Park beginning November 1, 2008. Proceeds from gate receipts will go to Anderson, Oconee and Pickens County charities.

New Display and Old DisplaysText Box: We have several new displays and a few old displays that will need repairs or wiring before the 2008 season opens. If you would like to help with this project please call us or write to us and let us know about your availability and skills. Electrical skills will be needed on a few of the projects. Phone: (864) 933-2547 email: ben@andersonlightsofhope.org Our address is: Anderson Lights of Hope PO Box 1413 Anderson, South Carolina 29622 City Approved!Text Box: By the numbers in 2006 0 people have been paid a salary to run Lights of Hope since 2006 9 cases of marshmallows were used in hot chocolate sales 52 percent of visitors were from Anderson – the rest came from surrounding counties. 62 trees were wrapped in lights 82 percent more income as collected in 2006 over the previous year 300 volunteers donated their time to run Lights of Hope in 2006 453 strands of white mini lights illuminated the road 900 pounds of propane kept workers and cocoa warm 1,583 cans of food and $2,000 were collected for AIM $3,000 and four barrels of toys were collected for Toys for Tots 4,000 candy canes were handed out 8,056 carloads of people paid to enter the Lights of Hope event $28,000 more was given to area charities in exchange for volunteer hours they put in 38,000 people, roughly, visited Lights of Hope in 2006 3.5 million light bulbs glow in the Lights of Hope display Let's Break Some Records

To become a Lights of Hope Volunteer please call Annette Buchanan (864) 934-7280

· Set Up the Light Displays (Nov 1-20th)

· Santa Elves and Santa’s (Dec 1 - 24th)

· Traffic Monitors (Nightly Thanksgiving - Christmas)

· Greeters (Nightly Thanksgiving - Christmas)

· Take Down the Light Displays (Dec 26 - 31st)

We need electricians, carpenters, welders, painters and smiling faces to help make this 2008 season possible.
Text Box: Let there be lights (of hope) Misunderstandings between Easter Seals of South Carolina and the Lights of Hope organization of Anderson have been resolved. The holiday display that has delighted carloads of families at Anderson’s Darwin Wright Park for a dozen years will return this Christmas season after a one-year hiatus. Ben R. Phillips, Jr., the unpaid executive director of Lights of Hope, and Deanna Lewis, President/CEO of Easter Seals of South Carolina, issued a joint letter last month stating they “amicably” completed a transfer of the light displays, resolving a dispute that arose in 2007. A little background: The light displays were developed and the fund-raiser run by the Anderson Easter Seals office. When the local office was shut down in the early fall of 2006, Mr. Phillips and some other volunteers hastily pulled together an organization that operated Lights of Hope. They distributed funds raised that Christmas to a variety of local organizations that help children and adults with mental and physical disabilities. Unfortunately, a dispute arose the next year about who actually owned the lights, and the event was not held last Christmas. On April 25 of this year, Ms. Lewis and Mr. Phillips signed a legal document conveying the displays to Anderson Lights of Hope. Mr. Phillips said the City of Anderson’s Parks and Recreation Department gave permission on June 2 to use Darwin Wright Park, and the City Council gave Lights of Hope its blessing on June 30th. So far, he and the other volunteers have procured 15 sponsorships for the 2008 event, which covers the costs of maintaining and repairing the lights and paying the power bill for the month (approximately $2,800). In the long term, Mr. Phillips said, they plan to replace all of the light bulbs with more efficient LED lights, which will last longer and be less expensive (and greener!) to operate. With costs covered by sponsors, money is raised by entrance fees collected from each car that drives through the park in December. In August, decisions will be made about five major charities to benefit from the proceeds of the event. Some smaller donations also will be made, Mr. Phillips said. According to the organization’s Web site,www.andersonlightsofhope.org, the beneficiaries must be nonprofit organizations in Anderson, Oconee or Pickens counties who provide “special needs services, physical, occupational and speech therapy services for children and adults with mental and physical disabilities.” Happily, this is the same group of people served by Easter Seals. So Lights of Hope is helping fund services that were picked up by other organizations when Easter Seals left town. The brouhaha that erupted over Lights of Hope was unfortunate, because it is run by a group of good-hearted volunteers who simply want to continue a successful special event that raises a nice chunk of money for deserving nonprofits and keeps the funds at home. The leadership is looking for volunteers to help pull off this year’s circus of lights, as well as nonprofits who would like to benefit. Information is available at the group’s Web site or by e-mailing Mr. Phillips at ben@andersonlightsofhope.org. Text Box:  © 2006 The Anderson Independent Mail

Anderson - Oconee Speech and Hearing

S & C Snuggables

Living Without Limits

Cancer Association of Anderson

Anderson Interfaith Ministries

Toys - 4 - Tots        Hart County Interagency

Hope Ministry                  Meals On Wheels

and a few others.

 

      To learn more about them click here.

Thanksgiving Day through Christmas Day

Anderson Lights of Hope