Palm Beach University’s annual Christmas tree lighting provided family fun and helped remind students, faculty, and community members about celebrating Jesus as the real reason for the season.
“It gives me great joy to stand in front of you tonight to celebrate this holiday season,” said PBA president Debera Schwinn, who mentioned how the Christmas tree lighting at PBA symbolized the light of Jesus being born into the world. She closed her remarks with a reading from Luke 2:1-7 which details the birth of the Messiah.
Bethany Wolek, a sophomore at PBA who volunteered at the annual tree lighting event as a Presidential Ambassador, said she liked that President Schwinn read the Christmas story because it showcases what the school is all about.
The ceremony hosted on the Baxter Green on November 30 saw more than 300 attendees. Guests enjoyed a variety of refreshments and snacks, such as hot chocolate and cider, s’mores and a wildly popular pumpkin-flavored dessert.
The event also offered winter fun with holiday activities under the flurry produced by “snow” machines. Activities included a photo booth, craft corner, and a competitive, ugly sweater contest. One of the most popular activities was the opportunity to take a nostalgic horse-drawn carriage ride down Pembroke Place.
PBA’s music program members performed holiday favorites like “Last Christmas” and “Jingle Bell Rock.” They were followed by the PBA concert choir, who gave lively renditions of hymns like “Joy to the World” and “Come Let Us Adore Him.”
“It was an awesome way to see some of our very own student artists and the things they have been working on,” said Wolek.
After the event, many guests stayed for the movie “Elf” outdoor screening as they genuinely embraced the Christmas atmosphere.
“I hope each and every one in this audience today can take this Christmas season and the light it brings into the world to shine,” said Schwinn. Watch the highlight video here.
