Friday, November 18, 2016 felt more like Christmas in July. Downtown Johnstown felt touristy as I got toasty running in a red Santa Claus sweatshirt. Over one hundred people ran through the streets in honor of Mr. Claus, and hundreds more lined Main Street in anticipation of the Christmas parade. I got support from family and strangers as I questioned why I decided upon a 100% heavy cotton sweatshirt for these 2 miles. It's all for the kids and there were plenty of them.
Downtown Johnstown has certainly changed with the times. No park will ever be perfect and there is reason why every generation has a memory of glory days. And at this year's Christmas celebration, I saw kids in their glory. Nevermind what Johnstown once was. Friday night was a showcase of what Johnstown is.
Johnstown is a collection of people that pushed Central Park to full capacity. A group of community leaders once believed that a towering, light show of a tree could make a difference. If you stood in that sea on Friday night, you saw, heard, and felt a difference. It was the second year that The Tree was the star.
As my father-in-law paraded his granddaughter around the park, I realized this is all she knows. With amazement, she has experienced Light Up Night this year and last and she wants "more" ("more", "more", "more", "more"...) . While these memories will certainly fade with time, to her, today, Central Park is a positive place to go. Positive for a lot of reasons.
That grandfather parading her around dedicated every bit of himself for that moment - a chance to show his granddaughter a goodness that is all about people coming together. An infusion of visionaries and volunteers sent a message and it was received. I can only hope that my daughter gets more nights to light up downtown.
One last thing...
After the Santa Run, I popped into Flood City Cafe to add back the calories I just burned off. I had on my Santa hat. Every employee had on a Santa hat. I was the only one profusely sweating in the coffee shop. I laughed at myself and looked down at my heavy red sweatshirt. Under Santa's beard, in big white letters, I read the word "BELIEVE".
And if I teach my daughter anything, it will be that.
BELIEVE.
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