Lighting the Way

The enchanting vision of thousands of lights sparkling through Seneca Creek State Park on a cold winter's night greeted visitors of Seneca Creek State Park this time of year.   

The 15th annual Winter Lights Festival, which kicked off this weekend, was also a chance for community members to come together and support local charities. 

The festival included 380 vignettes and 65 animated displays, and was comprised of thousands of individual lights. Six to eight staff members began construction of the 3.5 mile drive on Oct. 6, and put over 1,400 man-hours into making sure that the emblazoned path, filled with festive lights, would be working properly for opening day, Dec. 3. 

The hard work that goes into constructing the Winter Lights Festival benefits several local charities, including the Dolores Swoyer Camp Scholarship Fund, the Gaithersburg Community Volunteer Soup Kitchen, Friends of Seneca State Creek Park, Gaithersburg HELP, Gaithersburg Holiday Giving Program, and the Shady Grove Adventist Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

After only an hour during opening day more than a hundred cars had driven through the brilliant display of lights at the Winter Lights Festival at Seneca Creek State Park.  That equals roughly $1,200 raised in the first hour.

The Dolores Swoyer Camp Scholarship Fund gives children the chance to attend summer camp that would otherwise not have had the opportunity to go. 

Youth Services Director for the City, Tim "Smitty" Smith, said that "since 1989 the program has been sending 125 city residents per year to 14 different recreational camps where children get time for sports, art and crafts, swimming, and field trips."  Without the efforts of the Dolores Swoyer Camp Scholarship Fund these children would not be eligible for an experience, which would enhance the summer of any student.

The Gaithersburg Community Volunteer Soup Kitchen, which is locally known as "The Lord's Table," serves four course meals, six days a week, at St. Martin's Roman Catholic Church, to those in need of a warm meal. 

Mary Canapary, the volunteer director at "The Lord's Table," said that it is not just physical nourishment that is provided six days a week at St. Martin's, yet proactive spiritual nourishment as well. "We open our doors at 3:30pm and there is already a long line outside, we serve our guests a four course meal, and then we sit down with them and listen to their problems and try to come up with a resource or a program to help them.  Often these people have mental health problems, drug addiction problems, or both; we will try to find clinics, shelter, or clothing, whatever they need to get them on their feet again."   

The "Lord's Table" is made up of 300 volunteers who work at the kitchen from September to June; keeping it open six days a week despite the absence of government funding.  For more information about "The Lord's Table," please call 301-350-5812; volunteers are expected to make a commitment for the season and to sign up early in advance.

Friends of Seneca Creek State Park is a non-profit organization dedicated to the enhancement and upkeep of Seneca Creek State Park and Seneca Creek.  They helped create the 26 mile long hiking trail that winds through the park and along Seneca Creek.  They have also been providing a location for the Winter Lights Festival for fifteen years straight.  For more information regarding Friends of Seneca Creek State Park call 301-924-2127 or visit www.foscp.com.

Gaithersburg HELP is a non-profit organization that has served the community since 1968 and provides members of the community with a food pantry that is open five days a week and serves 20 families each evening.  The families are welcome to visit the pantry once a month, eight months out of the year, where food, diapers, and formula, are available.   

Director of Gaithersburg HELP, Steve Garvey said, "We provide funding assistance for prescriptions and help people who desperately need transportation, find it. We also try to refer families to other organizations like MANA where they can receive further assistance.  We are a great organization made up of cadre of 150 volunteers and have been serving the community for over forty years."  For further information about Gaithersburg HELP call 301-216-2510 or visit www.gaithersburghelp.org.

The Gaithersburg Holiday Giving Program is a county wide initiative that makes the season more cheerful for local families in need by providing stockings and gift cards for presents during the holidays. 

Director of Community Services Crystal Carr said, "We have a great team of volunteers and lots of help from the faith based community, but could use donations of target gift cards in 15 dollar increments, however, checks and cash, used to purchase gift cards, are always welcome.  We serve 900 households, and  2,151 kids; we have added 250 new households to the program this year alone."  

The Shady Grove Adventist Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) provides the highest level of infant care available in the state of Maryland.  Along with expert staff and individually assigned neonatologists, the unit possesses state- of- the- art equipment, which assists in caring for premature infants as well as those who have just had surgery.  

The Winter Lights Festival at Seneca Creek State Park is open every day of the week, accept Mondays and December 25th, until January1st.

For more information about the Dolores Swoyer Camp Scholarship Fund call 301-258-6350 or visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov

For more information about the Gaithersburg Holiday Giving Program call 301-258-6395 or visit www.gaithersburgmd.gov/community services.

For more information regarding NICU please call 301-279-6000 or visit www.adventisthealthcare.com.