Nov 7, 2009 9:15 pm US/Central
Volunteers Preserve Holiday Lights In Park Ridge
City Was Ready To Set Aside Decorations Because Of Tight Budget Times; Civic-Minded Residents Stepped Up
PARK RIDGE, Ill. (CBS) ―
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Volunteers helped the city of Park Ridge string holiday lights Saturday to compensate for a budget deficit.
CBS
What do you do when a holiday tradition, cherished for generations, is stopped cold because of the bad economy?
In one Chicago area community, adults and children alike rolled up their sleeves, grabbed a few ladders and went to work.
Park Ridge, like so many other places, has had to make some tough choices.
"A lot of governments don't have as much money due to decreased taxes," said Mark Rizzo, a Cub Scout leader.
The Park Ridge government, facing a budget hole, decided it could not afford to put up Christmas lights this year. But that was not acceptable there.
"You don't want a dark city at Christmastime," Larry Ryles of the Kiwanis Club said. "Even though economics are bad, we're still going to light the city."
Hundreds of volunteers turned out Saturday to do it themselves. In fact, the response was overwhelming. One man said the town had more people than they had lights to put up.
"That's what we do in Kiwanis - we serve the children of the world," Ryles said. "What better way to serve the children than by lighting up Park Ridge?"
The children of Park Ridge helped, too. Hundreds of Cub Scouts and Boy scouts wrapped lights around trees.
They said it was fun. And it was an important lesson for them as well.
"One of the fundamentals (of the Scouts) is doing service for your community, so we're trying to help the boys learn about that," Rizzo said.
Park Ridge businesses have struggled in the tough economy, and so have some families. But this effort captured the true spirit of Christmas: It was something money could not buy.
"This is just one more way for the residents to give back and pitch in and make Park Ridge have a white Christmas, even if funds are tight," said Charlie Melidosian, a Park Ridge resident.
Adults actually started running power cords weeks ago. They'll turn on the holiday lights Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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