Lights for the annual Town Green event burned
The tragedy of the Walbridge Fire has had an unanticipated chilling effect on Windsor’s Christmas cheer after it was discovered that the lights used to decorate and facilitate the annual Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Grove had burned along with the barn they were being stored in.
The annual event, put on by the People4Parks Foundation, fills the Town Green with lights, snow, holiday cheer and hundreds of Christmas trees decorated by local groups and businesses.
Lorene Romero, vice chair of the foundation and the Director of the Windsor Chamber of Commerce, said the foundation was notified that the lights — primarily those used to decorate the central kiosk and the parks natural trees along with “dancing” icicle lights — had been lost. The lights were valued at $12,000 to $15,000.
“If you look at the middle kiosk all lit up — we joke you can see it from space — all those lights and all that are strung around, but not the ones on the individual Christmas trees, those are brought by individuals, but all the other lights hung around the grove,” Romero said. “The snow machine is safe, and the barrels (the trees are put on) live in Keiser Park in metal containers so they’re safe.”
The preparation for this year’s grove had just gotten underway.
“We were already preparing and reviewing sponsorship and adopt-a-tree forms, just getting that ready to go and the (committee chair Michael Brook) called and said the barn the lights were in burned down,” Romero said.
The lights were being stored at Renninger Ranch, as Renninger Electric has been the electrical contractor for the grove.
“Initially, we thought this could be a total game changer and could kill this event,” Romero said. “But then I connected with (Mayor Dominic Foppoli), who is very involved in the fires again and we connected about how we can turn lemons into lemonade, which is always my thing.”
Foppoli and Romero started a GoFundMe, that as of 5 p.m. on Aug. 27 had 65 donors and had raised $4,090. In addition, the People4Parks Foundation has received some direct checks from Bellacana Winery and Schultz Brothers Storage, along with an anonymous donor.
The solicitation on the GoFundMe page reads as follows:
“Mayor Foppoli reached out to the Windsor Chamber when he heard that the lights for the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Grove had been burned in the Walbridge Fire at the ranch where they were stored. Mayor Foppoli said he’ll be the first donor if we do a fundraising campaign. The estimated replacement cost is $12,000 to $15,000. All funds will be turned over to the People4Parks Foundation for the specified purpose, with excess funds to be retained by People4Parks for future projects. P4P is an all-volunteer organization … Let’s light up our Town Green and make it snow for the kids.”
“People want to help, I really think we can bring the community together, because we all love Charlie Brown grove,” Romero said. “People are just stepping up; people are loving this event and want to continue it and I really think this is a way to get the community back together.
“And we need the healing right now, businesses are suffering, first the pandemic and then the fires. I’m really grateful to the community, grateful that Mayor Foppoli reached out to do the right things. Because this could have been a game changer, and now it’s giving people hope and excitement,” Romero concluded.
The GoFundMe to save the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Grove can be found here. People interested in donating and receiving a tax deduction can also write a check to People4Parks Foundation and drop it at the office at 9001 Windsor Road in the yellow train depot building or mail it to the Windsor Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 367, Windsor, CA 95492.
People4Parks is will present the 12th annual Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Grove, with the initial tree lighting on Dec. 3 and continuing to Dec. 31, 2020 at the Windsor Town Green. The event features holiday music and dancing rainbow icicle lights, along with nightly snow fall every night at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m.
