Giving thanks for WinterFest help

To the editor:
On behalf of the Jay County WinterFest Committee I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the businesses, organizations, and individuals that had a part in making the 2012 Jay County Chamber of Commerce WinterFest a huge success.
Special thanks go to our major sponsors Bollenbacher & Associates; CenturyLink; Fuqua Chrysler Dodge Jeep – Dunkirk; Fuqua Automotive – Portland; Meridian Health Services; and McDonald’s. 
So many organizations and business sponsored or participated in some way to make WinterFest an amazing event; it will be impossible to get them all in this letter. We had 46 organizations and businesses that sponsored our events, 21 organizations that decorated a tree in the Festival of Trees at our beautifully decorated courthouse (special thank you to the Jay County Commissioners, Roger and Sue McBride and Gary Gibson).
We had great attendance at Westchester United Methodist Church’s Live Nativity production and Crying Baby Production’s performances and wonderful singers at Christmas at the Courthouse. Thanks to Pastor David Wade and Mitch Waters for their lead roles as masters of ceremonies in our special events. The Little Miss WinterFest contest had 19 entries with the most amazing little girls and Jennifer McGraw always makes this event so special for all of them.
Alvin from the Chipmunks and Brittany from the Chippettes told me they had the best fans (over 550) for the Kids Breakfast and Karnival.  If they had had time, they would have given huge hugs to East Jay Middle School, Angie Ingram, The Family Worship Center, Tonya Roesser and Tressie Monroe and others for all their hard work.
Alvin and Brittany also wanted to pass along how wonderful the Rotary Parade of Lights was (42 entries) and how much fun they had waving to everyone that came out.  
The Holiday Home Tour hosted nearly 600 people who enjoyed touring and learning about the history and architecture of the homes.   We want to thank John and Nancy Moore; Mark and Ruth Twigg; Dave and Anita Frasher; and Mike and Judy Whetstone for generously offering their homes for the tour, along with the Purdue Extension and the Master Gardeners for their displays and special thanks to Cindy Denney for her dedication to the tour.
As you can see it takes a host of individuals, organizations and businesses to put together a special event like WinterFest.  It’s about the sense of community one feels standing with friends and neighbors in our beautifully decorated courthouse singing songs of the season together, the thrill of yelling out “BINGO!” at the John Jay Center, or donating a canned good to the community food bank then climbing with your loved ones into the horse drawn carriage for an adventure around the courthouse.  
On behalf of myself and the Jay County Chamber of Commerce, I want to say a huge thank you to the WinterFest Committee and all who help make WinterFest possible year after year.  For many it has become a family tradition.  And we hope to continue the event for many years to come.
Emily Goodrich Ro-berts, chairman, WinterFest 2012[[In-content Ad]]