The 2024 holiday season is here, which means it’s time for celebrations and charity.
We’ve already had tree lighting events in West Nyack and Nanuet, as well as the Town’s
annual candy cane hunt in Congers. If you weren’t able to attend those events, you can
still catch the biggest holiday event in town: the annual Winter Wonderland Kick Off at
Congers Lake Memorial Park on December 12 at 6:00pm. The evening begins with a tree
lighting, followed by a children’s concert featuring Matty Roxx, horse-drawn wagon
rides, cookies & hot chocolate, photos with Santa, and marshmallow roasting. It’s an
evening of holiday spirit you don’t want to miss!
And of course, coinciding with the tree lighting, our Winter Wonderland music and light
display is opened to the public. This collection of illuminated holiday decorations lines a
portion of the walkway near the Congers Community Center buildings. The lights are
coordinated to keep time with a holiday music soundtrack that plays in the background,
making for an enjoyable and festive walk for all. The display will run daily from 5-8:30
pm until January 1st. I encourage everyone to come out and look at all the beautiful
Christmas, Hanukkah, and other holiday displays. It’s a great way for people to enjoy
this beautiful park in the winter.
The Town is also hosting its annual Menorah Lighting at Congers Station Park. The
event will take place on December 30th at 5pm. Rabbi Paul Kurland, from Congregation
Shir Shalom, will be leading the Menorah lighting with other local Jewish leaders.
Refreshments will be served.
The holidays are also known as the season of giving and Clarkstown offers a wide range
of opportunities to help those in need. Having worked for various not-for-profits for
many years prior to becoming Supervisor, I know firsthand how impactful the donations
that are made at this time of year can be. Here are some local charitable programs you
might wish to consider supporting:
Every year, the Marine Corp League runs the Toys for Tots program, collecting
thousands of toys for children of all ages. We have a donation box for this charity located
in the main lobby of Town Hall. We are also collecting toys at our four community
centers (Congers, Central Nyack, Pascack, and Street) to benefit those in need
throughout Clarkstown. If you would like to donate to this worthy cause, please bring
toys to the Winter Wonderland event or one of our four community centers.
The Town of Clarkstown is also proud to be participating in Senator Bill Weber’s
December coat drive. After that event ends, we will continue collecting coats throughout
January for the Clarkstown Cares Coat Drive. The donation box is located in the main
lobby of Town Hall in New City. Coats will be donated to Martin Luther King Center
and People to People. Please take a look through your closets and donate any coats you
may no longer need. Help us keep our neighbors warm this winter!
You might also consider supporting any number of the wonderful, local charitable
organizations operating in Clarktown. You can even pick up some delicious cookies sold
by Baking Memories 4 Kids. This Valley Cottage based non- profit (501 (c)(3)
foundation sells cookies to provide children with life threatening and /or terminal
illnesses and their families an all-expense paid vacation to ALL the theme parks in
Orlando, Florida. Last year, the organization made a dream come true for a family right
here in Congers.
As the hustle and bustle of the holiday season surrounds us, it’s heartwarming to see the
holiday spirit and generosity displayed by many of you. I’m always amazed by the
kindness and willingness of the residents of Clarkstown to help our neighbors in need.
Please consider giving any amount of time or money that you can spare, and I hope you
take comfort, as I do, in knowing we played a small role in spreading kindness and the
true spirit of the holidays.
