Angels Camp Business Association working to save community Christmas
Angels Camp – August 27, 2015 – The Angels Camp Business Association may not be able to fund all of the traditional Christmas events in Angels Camp this year and are seeking ways to find solutions and obtain donations. On Tuesday, Aug. 18, the Angels Camp City Council voted to cut the Angels Camp Business Association grant funding by $4,000, more than a 25 percent reduction. This puts a serious restraint on what the association can do for the Angels Camp community.
The Christmas events, including Christmas pine boughs hung along Main Street, the 25th annual Christmas Parade and Christmas Open House and Wine Stroll, are in jeopardy of being cut due to the lack of funding. “We want to preserve our tradition,” said James Lindenberger, owner of The Clothes Mine in downtown Angels Camp. “This will be the 25th anniversary of our Christmas of Angels Parade. We can’t give it up.”
The Angels Camp Business Association Christmas Committee met Wednesday and it was decided that the only way ACBA could continue to put on these events this year is to reach out for help from the community and businesses. Bob Menary, co-chair for the Christmas Parade Committee, stated, “We hope that the residents of Angels Camp will step forward to support our Christmas activities. We have a strong group of volunteers that help put on our events every year.”
Christmas in Angels Camp is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 28. Events are to begin at 4 p.m. with the Open House and Wine Stroll and tree lighting at 4:30 in the Calaveras Visitor Bureau parking lot. A long-time favorite of locals and visitors alike, the 25th annual Christmas of Angels parade is to begin at 5 p.m. The Christmas Open House and Wine Stroll includes festive treats and holiday specials offered at numerous downtown businesses along with carolers, the tree lighting, and of course everyone’s favorite, Mr. and Mrs. Claus.
The Christmas Committee, co-chaired by Bob Menary and Candy Myers, ACBA president, is already accepting parade entry forms in hopes that the parade will be funded. “We are keeping our fingers crossed that a Christmas miracle will happen and we will receive donations from the community and our businesses in order to fund the festivities,” replied Myers.
For any business or individual that would like to donate to save Christmas in Angles Camp, please mail checks to: ACBA, P.O. Box 62, Angels Camp, CA 95222 or physically drop off at the Angels Camp Business Association office, 1211 S. Main St., Angels Camp. All donors will be recognized on the website at www.christmasofangels.comunless they wish to remain anonymous.
The Angels Camp Business Association is a non-profit 501(c)(6) tax-exempt organization that works to unify and involve the business community in order to promote and support business success and goodwill in the greater Angels Camp area. The business association’s many activities include Angels Camp Farmers Market, Taste of Calaveras, sidewalk sales, student scholarship fund for Bret Harte High School, the annual Christmas Gala, Christmas Parade and Christmas Open House and Wine Stroll.
For more information, contact Kerry Keeney at (209) 736-1333 or Candy Myers at (209) 559-5195.