Norris Shines committee appreciative of Christmas volunteers
The Norris Shines event committee for the 2023 says “thank you” to the many volunteers who gave their time helping to to put up and take down the 10,000-plus lights, decorations, and greenery..
Norris Shines is a celebration of lights that encourages homes, businesses and government offices to place as many lights as possible throughout Norris.
It is estimated that lights were displayed, both subtlety and spectacularly, in more than 200 locations in Norris.
Each year, Norris Shines invites volunteers, known as the “Light Brigade,” to come out with ladders, tools, and know-how to decorate both entrances to Norris, the downtown gazebo, and the front of the downtown area, including the Post Office, Archer’s Market, Dr. Startup’s office, and Loy Johnson Real Estate.
This year, 30 men and women of all ages enthusiastically came out to help, and within two days, had the town shining, said Bonnie Peacock, chair of Norris hines for 2023.
“We had more volunteers than ever before,” she said.
“With so many volunteers, the lights and decorations went up very quickly. It really is fun and gets you in the Christmas spirit early in the season, and we couldn’t do any of it without the help of so many people.
“Also, a special thanks goes out to the Norris Public Works Department for dropping long extension cords from several poles so that we could actually plug in the Christmas lights; and thank you so much to Mark Thomas at Archer’s for letting us use his outlets to plug in all the lights from the post office to Dr. Startups office,” Peacock said.
“We have to give a big ‘thank you’ to Brianne Kibler for spending hours driving all around Norris taking pictures of the lights for the Norris Shines Scavenger Hunt,” she said.
“So many people have told me personally how much fun they have trying to find everything on the list.
“I am so grateful that Norris has so many wonderful volunteers. We could not have Norris Shines without them,” Peacock said.
The 2023 “Light Brigade” of volunteers included Mike Robinson, Jeff Anderson, Steve and Susan Batchelor, Lisa and Don Barger, Pete Dolan and Sherrie Liafsha, Chuck and Cynthia Edrington, Cody and Crosby Edrington, Charlotte and Jim Jurekovic, Blake and Denise Knight, Randy Kurth and Barbara Nicodemus, Tom and Suzanne Kurtz, Ann Lesar, Michael and Dominic Miceli, Alex Munroe, Eric Rauch, Mathew Walker, Sam Ogburn, Jim Peacock, Jimmy Peacock and Jody Gehring.
Bonnie Peacock said that all these folks are “shining examples” of the volunteer spirit that Norris is known for.
The lights usually go up in the middle of November of each year.
Anyone who would like to be a volunteer for the Light Bigrade for the 2024 Christmas season should contact Bonnie Peacock at 865 388-0788 or at bonpavo@aol.com.