On the evening of December 1, alumni, families, students, and faculty gathered together in Alumni Plaza to kick off the holiday season with a new tradition, an annual Christmas tree lighting.
Emphasizing the opportunity to bring the entire community—students and all—closer together, alumni Dana Madonia LeTourneau ‘96, Maggie Jones Patton ‘95, and Kelly Hadden Buschmann ‘94 presented the idea of a tree lighting on campus to the Alumni Board, who was in full support.
President J.D. Childs also approved of the idea immediately. “To me, Christmas trees are especially magical, reminding us of important family time in light of our faith. I wanted Marist School to have that hint of magic in this Advent season,” Childs said.
In past years, the alumni events committee has put on a similar event at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens called “Light up the Night.” This year, however, they decided to bring the event closer to home and include both the past and current Marist Fam by lighting up our own night here on our school campus, as LeTourneau and Patton explained.
Making the journey to North Carolina, the alumni partnered with Matt Bowman, owner of the Tradition Company, to find the perfect 20-foot-tall tree for campus. Delivered on Thanksgiving Day, the tree was adorned with thousands of lights.
To start off “Marist Light Up the Night,” the Marist Singers sang carols and led a sing-along with everyone present. Some crowd favorites included “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” “Jingle Bells,” and “Carol of the Bells.”
Brent Porter, one of the senior leaders and tenor for the Marist Singers, sang a solo of “A Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole. Sophomore and soprano Jessica Barrios shared how much fun they had. “We had a great turnout, and the atmosphere was very festive,” Barrios said.
After the carolers set the tone for the night, everyone gathered around the tree. Fr. Ralph Olek started the countdown from 10 with anticipation building each second. As the tree was lit for the first time, its bright lights filled Alumni Plaza, bringing joy and excitement for the holiday season ahead.
Adding to the festive environment, the alumni served Christmas-themed refreshments, provided holiday crafts, and brought Santa to campus for the children to visit.
Not only was the night of the tree lighting a success but students also enjoyed seeing the illuminated tree in Alumni Plaza while passing between classes. The tree serves as a great reminder of our close-knit community and the true meaning of Christmas.
Alumni Board Co-President Matt Simmons shared his thoughts. “I think that everybody who went to school here can look out and say why haven’t we always had a Christmas tree this time of year in the center of campus?” Simmons asked.
The community hopes “Marist Light Up the Night” will become an annual tradition.
Merry Christmas, Marist Fam!
