By Nicole Tieu
Santa Claus came to Fountain Valley on Dec. 7, riding on a fire truck along with members of the Fountain Valley Fire Department. Despite the cold that night, many families and volunteers came out to the area in front of the the Recreation Center at Mile Square Park to see him and participate in the annual Tree Lighting. Several FVHS students attending the event from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. were there to volunteer, perform, or spend time with their families.
The night united the community as Key Club and KIWIN’S from Fountain Valley, La Quinta, and Segerstrom High School volunteered to help sell food, pick up trash, and run game stations.
“[The event] kind of establishes, like a reputation for Fountain Valley and all the things we do like this because honestly, there aren’t a lot of other cities around that do a big event like this, ” said volunteer Kleon Tran (’14).
Children were able to participate in activities such as shooting the Grinch with a Nerf gun or breaking down chimneys with bean bags. Hot chocolate, hamburgers, and cheesecake were all options to choose from when deciding which food to buy. Many attendees also wandered around the event with a half sheet of yellow paper looking for items listed for a scavenger hunt. During the middle of the event, fireworks shot into the night sky with vibrant colors.
]As she helped out with games, Elaine Nguyen (’16) said, “It was really great to see the little kids getting so excited about playing games that it was definitely worth the pain in my legs and the loss of feeling in my hands.”
There were almost always performers on the small stage to entertain guests and the community. There were various acts of song and dance coming from students of all ages. Some of the performances included FVHS’ very own Dance team and Troubadours. The choir group sang several different Christmas carols that they’ve been preparing since October.
“We’ve been working really hard and it’s just nice to see that everything’s been paying off,” said Troubadour Paige Taylor (’16). “And like it’s nice that we know everyone or mostly everyone that was here, that’s what we performed for.”
In addition to the holiday festivities going around in Fountain Valley, FVHS Make-a-Wish hosted their seventh annual Hot Chocolate Fundraiser on Shadbush St. across from the Tree Lighting. People walking around to see the elaborate Christmas decorations were able to enjoy hot chocolate and baked goods handed out by Make-a-Wish as they accepted donations to their club. The event continued the next day and will continue from Dec. 13-23.
