Ethan Hoagland
Lights, ornaments, tinsel: these are the common sights on a Christmas tree. In Sweet Home, you can add singing people to that list. Back for their 41st year, the Sweet Home Community Singing Christmas Tree performers will kick off the Christmas spirit at 7:30pm, Friday, Dec. 1 at the Sweet Home High School auditorium. Performances will run through the weekend, with another 7:30 p.m. show on Saturday, and a 3:00 p.m. matinee on Sunday.
“If you’ve never been to the concert, please come,” Ben Mattheisen, chairman of the Singing Christmas Tree said.
This year, the organization says 100% of audience donations will go to the Sweet Home High School Performing Arts Department, which has long produced talented community members who perform with the Singing Christmas Tree.
“We know that in order for people to continue singing, or playing instruments, we need to focus on the youth inside of our community,” Mattheisen said.
Mattheisen is hoping to raise $1,000 for the SHHS Performing Arts Department. In 2022, the group raised $725 for Sweet Home Emergency Ministries, according to Mattheisen. He said last year was the first year they gave audience donations collected at the free concert back to the community.
“In addition this year, something really exciting that we’re working with is partnering with the Sweet Home [Alumni] Foundation and supporting the scholarship funds that they do,” Mattheisen said. “We’re gonna be donating money to them as well.”
That money will come from the organization’s savings account, which is bolstered by other yearly fundraisers like last Spring’s 2nd annual bingo event.
Slotted as performance host this year is Rachel Maynard with Cadwell Realty Group. Friday’s performance sponsor is Poe’s Backhoe