Before the presents were handed out to the hundreds of children inside City Church's St. Anthony's Community Center, Pastor Ryan Macdonald reminded the families gathered in the gym why there is a yearly Christmas celebration.
He shared from Matthew 1:20-24. The passage where Joseph learns that Mary will conceive a child through the Holy Spirit is a bit of stunning news that Joseph took some time to consider after an angel told him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife. Macdonald said Joseph was considering the truth.
"The truth that Jesus was coming to the earth," Macdonald said. "The truth is that Jesus is the Christ of Christmas, and he came for you and me. If you go through this season and you don't recognize what Joseph did, he recognized the truth, you'll miss the reason for the season."
Macdonald also thanked the more than a dozen sponsors who provided the funds to buy the presents for the children.
"Let me tell you something: without Jesus, this night's not possible," Macdonald said. "Without Jesus Christ, we couldn't come together like this. Without Jesus Christ, I couldn't go to people and say, 'Hey, will you help us make this night possible?'"
The stage was full of hundreds of toys. One side of the court was lined with 30 bicycles waiting for their new owners, and after Macdonald's message and short prayer, the families lined up in front of the stage to take their turns for the children to pick out their own presents. The church compiled a list of children who were getting bikes.
The night included face painting, games, pictures with Santa, hot chili, and basketball.
File photo, City Church Christmas Concert, 2022 Photo by Howard Owens.
Press release:
The City Church Christmas Events this week!
Tuesday is our Annual Christmas Toy Giveaway at the Community Center on 114 Liberty St. in Batavia.We will have food, fun, Santa, hats, gloves, bikes and toys to giveaway.Every child walks away with a gift and all are welcome to come on out to celebrate the season!
Thursday is our Christmas Concert with local vocal artists.This will be a night of Christmas music, and we will have a time of community afterward with some soups and chili.This will begin at 7 p.m. at 210 East Main St. in Batavia.
Sunday is our CHRISTMAS SERVICE - “EXPERIENCE JOY THIS CHRISTMAS”with treats, Santa, a Kids Party at 10 a.m. and an encouraging message inspired by the word of God.All are welcome at 210 East Main St at 8:30 & 10 a.m.
There is no better time than the present to allow God to be a part of your life! Let’s come together this Christmas Season.
Officers with Batavia PD, as well as sheriff's deputies later in the morning, participated in the 10th annual Shop with a Cop event at Walmart on Saturday.
Shop with a Cop allows local children who are selected with the help of school resource officers and school officials from each school in Genesee County to buy Christmas presents for themselves or for friends and family members. Children are provided funds and their own personal police officer or deputy to accompany them on a Christmas shopping trip in the store.
Walmart hosts and staffs the event. Walmart also provides funding and goody bags for each child.
Grant money from Walmart, donations from the City of Batavia Police Benevolent Association, City of Batavia Civil Employee’s Association (CSEA), the City’s “Jeans for Friday” program, the Genesee County Sheriff’s Employee Association and donations made in the memory of Sgt. Thomas Sanfratello makes the event possible.
The Genesee Chorale presents its annual Christmas concert at 2 p.m. on Saturday at St. James Episcopal Church, 405 E. Main St., Batavia, featuring baritone Joseph Finetti.
Finetti is featured in the performance of "Fantasia on Christmas Carols," composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams.
The chorale will also perform "Magnificat" by Taylor Scott Davis.
On Saturday evening, area children could visit Santa and Mrs. Claus in the First Presbyterian Church of Batavia and then pick a plush toy or some other day. The event was hosted by The Little Free Pantry.
Aiden and Ava Wilson, of Batavia, visiting with Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Recovery Station on Clinton Street in Batavia on Wednesday. Photo by Howard Owens.
There was plenty of holiday cheer at the Recovery Station on Wednesday evening with hot cocoa, cookies, free books, and a visit by Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Visitors could pose with the jolly couple, and were provided a color print in a unique frame.
Northgate Church is excited to invite the community to its annual Vintage Christmas celebration, which will take place on Thursday and Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. in the church’s backyard (8160 Bank Street Road, Batavia).
This free outdoor event is a wonderful way for families and friends to embrace the joy of the Christmas season together.
Visitors can enjoy a variety of festive activities, including:
Santa and Mrs. Claus flew in from the North Pole on Saturday to visit with children at Foxprowl Collectables on Ellicott Street in Batavia. Submitted photo
First and foremost, says Jim DeLooze, it's about joy.
Namely, the joy of Christmas, the joy of magic, the joy of wonder.
And then what he's planning in conjunction with St. Mark's Church in Le Roy will also help local businesses by, hopefully, bringing more visitors downtown during the Christmas season.
DeLooze is heading up what he's calling The Joy Project, a plan to bring diorama to St. Mark's based on the old-time holiday radio show, "The Cinnamon Bear," and well as set up displays that recall wonderland that was once Sibley's Department Store in Rochester.
"Step one, is just put people in the Christmas spirit," DeLooze said, "make them happy and really wanting to see it. Number two is that it will be a draw. I plan on drawing people from anywhere between Rochester and Buffalo here to Le Roy. Business is a numbers game. If you own a restaurant, and you've got an additional 1,000 people who come into town, in a community, that's 4,000, that's gonna help your business."
He presented the plan to Le Roy's village trustees at their regular meeting on Wednesday, not to ask for the assistance of the village but to inform the community of the project. He is hoping for volunteers to step forward to help and for residents to make donations.
There are two main components to the project. First is the diorama based on "The Cinnamon Bear."
"The Cinnamon Bear" is an old-time radio show, a serial that was launched in 1937 by a Los Angeles-based marketing company to help department stores attract more of a Christmas crowd.
In an era before corporations owned nearly all of the nation's radio stations, many programs were syndicated to independently owned and operated radio stations. The Cinnamon Bear was picked up by stations in every state, with 26 episodes, each with a cliffhanger ending, airing each evening between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The program is the story of Judy and Jimmy Barton, who travel to the world of Maybeland in search of their missing Silver Star tree ornament. They are helped along their way through various adventures by The Cinnamon Bear, an assistant to Santa Claus.
The story has proven enduring. There are still radio stations that carry the show each year, and now, of course, it can be streamed online.
"Tony is the son of the person that built it," DeLooze said. "He said he and his mother were very impressed with my knowledge of old-time radio and the fact they thought it was a lot better going to a home here where people would be able to come in and see it free of charge rather than having to pay in an amusement park to see it."
To go along with the diorama, DeLooze is moving one of his other hobbies out of his basement -- his annual Christmas build of a display meant to model the Christmas presentation of the old Sibley's Department Store in Rochester.
For decades, area residents flocked to Sibley's during the Christmas season to take in Toyland and the Magic Corridor and see that animatronic elf along with Santa and Mrs. Claus.
For years, DeLooze has been building his own train set to create a miniature version of what Silbey's offered, and in recent years, he has been posting photos and videos on social media to show his progress and the completed project.
He's always gotten positive feedback for the video, including from a friend in California who once told him, "'Jim,' he goes, 'I gotta tell you, I was in a bad mood when I clicked on this,' he says, 'but literally halfway through, I was smiling and in the Christmas spirit.'"
And that was exactly what Jim said he likes to hear. He wants to know he's helping to spread joy. And that is what he hopes to do this year and for many years to come with The Cinnamon Bear and the Sibley's display.
"Our church was really looking for a way to participate in Winterfest," DeLooze said. "Hopefully, this will continue year after year. It will become a Christmas tradition that parents and grandparents will look forward to bringing their children to see, and that's why I've actually wanted to do this project since the early 1980s. That is just about the time that Sibley stopped doing it. My son got to see it. My daughter never got to see it. And I just wanted to be able to bring something like this back so my kids and grandkids can enjoy this."
To pull off all this joy, DeLooze said he and the folks at his small church will need additional help from the community, such as volunteers from community groups as well as community donations. He said the project will cost from $7,000 to $9,000 and that $3,000 has already been raised. He has a list of items for people to donate and what volunteers can do to help. For more information, email Jim DeLooze, jim@delooze.com.
The holiday season is a time of joy, celebration, and togetherness. However, amidst the festive decorations and merriment, there are poisoning potentials.
Our number one call last December and this December is for pain medicine mishaps for all ages in the 54 counties we serve. That means an unintentional overdose, taking a double dose of a medicine, or a child getting into the wrong medicine. So far this December, our poison center is seeing a high number of calls for exposure to cleaning products and children who have swallowed something they shouldn’t like a battery or toys.
“One way to safeguard against an unintentional exposure this holiday season is by storing purses and coats up high just in case loved ones bring along any medications that could harm little ones. Offer a safe place to store or a medication lock box,” says Mary Beth Dreyer, Upstate New York Poison Center Health Education Program Manager. “Remember, we are available 24/7, even during holidays, to help in times of need."
Common Poisoning Potentials
Decorative Plants: While visually appealing, certain decorative plants can be toxic if ingested. Keep these out of reach of kids and pets: mistletoe, holly berries, amaryllis, Jerusalem cherry, and yew. Remember to call for any plant ingestions to help keep yourself or a loved one safe.
Alcohol & Cannabis: Secure and keep out of reach of children during holiday parties.
Decorative Lights: Keep batteries and light bulbs away from small children, as they can be harmful if swallowed.
Medication: Keep suitcases and purses out of reach of children and pets. Designate a safe space for coats, purses, and bags.
Dinner Time: Combat food poisoning by keeping hot food hot and cold food cold. Refrigerate or freeze any perishable food within two hours.
Kids Toys: Many children’s toys contain lithium button batteries (flat, coin-like batteries). If eaten, they can get stuck in the throat or on the way to the stomach and cause a blockage or serious burns. Call our poison center or seek immediate medical attention if you think your child swallowed a button battery.
Household Chemicals: Never mix chemicals, use cleaning products in a well-ventilated area, and store them out of reach from children and pets.
Scotty DiMartino, Cassie Piccione and Tom Burke used their stagecraft experience to put on a light show at DiMartino's residence on Woodrow Road in Batavia on Saturday evening.
