TUNKHANNOCK — Downtown Tunkhannock celebrated the holidays with the annual Christmas in Our Hometown weekend Dec. 7-8.
Getting in the season of giving, 8-year-old cancer survivor Matthew McDonnell, of South Abington Twp., officially launched his non-profit organization called Matthew’s Hope 4 Miracles. The “4” in the title represents the four times Matthew has battled a rare form of Wilm’s tumor (kidney cancer).
Matthew gave out free mittens filled with hot cocoa packets and a candy cane, as well as Christmas cards he designed himself. He also gave away devotionals, books to remind every child that Jesus will always be there for them.
“We are super proud,” said Matthew’s father Patrick McDonnell. “He (Matthew) has a big heart for kids with cancer. He really wants them to find a cure.”
Patrick mentioned there are three goals to the non-profit.
“One, to raise awareness of the lack of pediatric funding,” he said. “Two, to raise funds for pediatric research. Three, to help families that are battling pediatric cancer.”
This is Matthew’s sixth event, in which he raised funds for pediatric cancer treatment but the first one under Matthew’s Hope 4 Miracles. Thee non-profit organization is currently funded by the Scranton Area Foundation.
“I’m so proud of him,” said Matthew’s mother Linda McDonnell. “It’s an opportunity to show his love for people because he does love everybody. We have a perspective of gratitude. We’re just grateful to be in a better place of hope.”
Matthew’s stand was in front of Robinson’s Martial Arts Institute, where there was a train display belonging to the Endless Mountains Model Railroad Club. Kids and adults watched trains go around a scenic area loosely based on northeast PA and the northeastern United States. Every year, it draws a crowd.
“We have been here for five years,” said Joseph Nichols, club president. “There was a big crowd on Friday night.”
Nichols added to the display this year a billboard congratulating Lackawanna Trail High School Lions football team for making it to the state finals.
Al Wayman, who has his own pottery studio in his hometown of Laceyville, performed a live demonstration of sculpting bowls and pitchers inside Twitter’s Gifts & Consignments. Wayman’s studio is called Creek Road Pottery.
“This is my first time being a part of it,” Wayman said about participating in Christmas in Our Hometown.
Wayman allows store owner Maren Visavati to sell his pottery items for a commission at the store she opened Twitter’s eight months ago. Visavati noticed the Christmas event brings people to her store.
“It gives a lot of nice foot traffic,” she said.
Steve and Amy Colley vended their pottery and paintings inside the Sheldon Studio at the Dietrich Theater, where they teach pottery classes for children and adults. The Dietrich Theater was hub to many festivities and decorations. The lobby, decorated with an upside-down Christmas tree hung on the ceiling, had a cookie walk on Friday night and Saturday, selling cookies donated by community members. Proceeds went to children’s classes of the Wyoming County Cultural Center.
“The support of the community is amazing,” said Nancy Piello, cookie walk chairman. “Without them, there is no way we can do this.”
Valerie Johnson — aka Silly Sally — made balloon toys for kids in one of the movie houses. She made a queen’s crown for 5-year-old Caitlin Cahill, of Tunkhannock, who was accompanied by her grandmother Cathy Cahill, owner of Mr. Zim Zim’s Vape Shop on Tioga Street.
“We always love Christmas in our Hometown,” said Grandma Cathy. “We come every year. It’s always so much fun.”
The Earnshaw Gallery in the theater’s hallway had many Christmas window displays, including one of an antique dollhouse made by Jack Griffith in 1905 and donated to the Dietrich by Amy Colley. A window display called Gifts of Christmas Past has classic toys such as an Erector set and a Hopalong Cassidy lunchbox put together by Sarah Sidorek and Jim Rosengrant.
Another window had Santa dolls from Mary Turner. Stephen Hendrickson had a window display which plays music and figurines move by the push of a button. It’s called “At the December Full Moon, the Acrobats Put on a Show.” Hendrickson is a set designer for film and TV and his wife Calista Hendrickson is a costume designer for the puppets of Jim Henson’s Emmett Otter’s Jug Band Christmas, which the Dietrich Theater shows during Christmas in Our Hometown. The gallery had a window of behind-the-scenes photos of the 1980s’ children’s show.
The Dietrich Theater was one of many downtown businesses that participated in a window decorating contest. People got to vote for their favorite window displays in three categories — small window, large window, and outdoor display.
Speaking of windows, radio personality Hoyt Keiser of GEM 104 read a picture book of “Twas the Night Before Christmas” by Clement Moore inside one of the store windows of Greenwood’s Furniture Store. He explained from the book that people used to decorate Christmas trees with candles back in the time when the poem was written. He also explained the houses back then had movable shutters.
“A lot of houses don’t have movable shutters anymore but you got shutters on the outside that are decorative in your house,” he said. “These are shutters that actually cover the windows.”
Both nights of Christmas in our Hometown ended with a Christmas tree lighting lit by Santa and Mrs. Claus who entered and greeted people coming out of a carriage ride.
Christmas in Our Hometown was created by the Tunkhannock Business Professional Association.
“It’s a great community event,” said Nancy Parlo, director of TBPA. “It shows the spirit. The premise is to give back to the community. The TBPA took on organizing this to highlight the many different professionals and businesses. And many communities participate by providing free snacks and treats for people that attend.”
