Shelby Township: Contest Winners Sworn In As North Pole Ambassadors Before Christmas Aglow

Press release from Shelby Township:

11/24/2021 9:23 PM

Out of more than 150 colorful, creative entries in the 2021 Shelby Township Christmas Coloring Contest, five young artists took oaths as "North Pole Ambassadors" to kick off the township’s 2021 Christmas season.

The process to name Shelby Township's North Pole Ambassadors included a coloring contest for children in kindergarten through second grade. Entrants submitted their works to the Shelby Township Library, and a panel of judges selected five submissions.

"I want to thank Clerk Stan Grot and our Community Relations Department for putting this together,” Township Supervisor Rick Stathakis said. “Seeing kids enjoy the Christmas season is always one of the highlights of the holiday. After seeing the ambassadors at their swearing-in, Clerk Grot did his part for those kids and their families.”

The ambassadors will represent the township as they present the official key to the township to Santa Claus at the Christmas Aglow event at 7 p.m. on Dec. 2 on the township campus at 52700 Van Dyke Ave.

“We had a record number of entries this year so we could have had 165 winners,” said Community Relations Director Brad D. Bates. “Unfortunately, the stage at the Aglow is not big enough to accommodate everyone, but the five artists that were selected will represent our community as our North Pole ambassadors.”

In addition to their duties as ambassadors, the contest winners, Jimmy Kuntz, Damjan Spirovski, Maya Fattah, Adea Hasanagic and Lauren Bryant, received official certificates of ambassadorship after being sworn in by Grot during a ceremony Nov. 23 at Shelby Township Hall.

“Our North Pole ambassadors have important jobs,” Grot said to the ambassadors following the ceremony. “They represent all the kids in our township and have to show Santa Claus that we have the best kids in the entire world.”

The Aglow, Shelby Township’s biggest Christmas event and tradition, will be bigger, better and brighter than ever before, thanks to a partnership with the Shelby Township Downtown Development Authority. Courtesy of the DDA, new this year will be a 34-foot Christmas tree and an enhanced welcome for Santa Claus as he makes his first stop to greet the township.

“The DDA has been discussing ways that we can draw more people into the township and celebrate our community and local businesses,” DDA Chairperson Greg Gagnon said. “It’s only natural that we start this with the township’s most prominent holiday event at the Aglow. You will not want to miss the Aglow this year. It is going to be bigger than ever. But, once folks drive in to see the lights, they'll also see all of the great small businesses we have up and down Van Dyke Ave."

Before the official lighting of the township Christmas tree, the Aglow features the Eisenhower High School show choir performing carols and the township’s “North Pole Ambassadors," presenting Santa with the key to the township. Photos with Santa Claus will then be available in Hope Chapel until 8:30 p.m.

“Thanks to the hard work of our staff in the Parks, Recreation and Maintenance and the Community Relations departments, we have a tremendous, live Christmas event to showcase our community,” said Township Trustee Lucia Di Cicco, who serves on the DDA. “It’s an honor for the DDA to be part of this tradition and make it even more enjoyable for our families.

“Supporting the Aglow is a natural progression for the DDA as it promotes our businesses with community events,” Di Cicco added. “Similar to how the Independence Day Fireworks draw people to the township, we feel the Aglow will do the same.”

In addition to traditional favorites such as hot chocolate, kids crafts at the Kris Kringle Castle, marshmallow roasting and the "Holiday Express" train display, the 2021 Aglow has enhanced Christmas displays for family photos and memories.

For more information, contact the Shelby Township Parks and Recreation offices at 586-731-0300. For details on all Shelby Township Christmas programs and events, visit shelbytwp.org/Christmas. 

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This press release was produced by Shelby Township. The views expressed here are the author’s own.