November 23, 2010
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, First Lady Joanne Jaeger Tomblin and their son, Brent, will lead participants in Joyful Night, the state’s annual tree-lighting holiday celebration on Thursday, Dec. 2, beginning at 6 p.m. All activities are free and the public is invited to attend.
The evening’s event will begin with the Posting of the Colors by the George Washington High School Junior ROTC; the tree lighting by the Governor and First Lady; the singing of the “National Anthem” by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History; and musical selections by the Cabell Midland High School Marching Band, Rhonda Smalley, director; and the Appalachian Children’s Chorus Cantare Choir of Southern West Virginia, Krista Brown-Trogdon, director; on the North Plaza Fountain Circle of the State Capitol Building. The holiday tree at the North Plaza was donated by Mrs. Helen Herring of Elkview.
Visitors will proceed to the Lincoln Plaza on the south side of the Capitol to hear music by the Chapmanville Regional High School Band, Randall McMullen, director; Logan County High School Band, Martin Ojeda, director; and Man Senior High School Band, Gregg Collins, director. The lift in this area was donated by Sunbelt Rental, Inc. of Charleston.
The first floor Rotunda area will have the Trinity Bell Tones of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Karen L. Stouch, director, in concert. There also will be a Toys for Tots box available for donations, sponsored by the U.S. Marine Corps.
The governor and first lady will recite “Twas the Night Before Christmas” in the Governor’s Reception Room. In addition, the Doddridge County Elementary School Chorus, Beverly Hudkins, director, and the Union Elementary School Choir, Dawn Hymes, director, will perform.
The Governor’s Mansion will showcase the talents of the Appalachian Children’s Chorus, Selina Midkiff, director.
The Culture Center is the final stop for Joyful Night activities. The Mountainaire Barber Shop Chorus, under the direction of Roger Cain, will sing holiday songs followed by a reception in the Great Hall.
The 2010 limited edition West Virginia Governor’s Mansion Ornament was created by artist Michelle Goodman and will be for sale in the West Virginia Museum Shop at the Culture Center for $20. The First Lady’s Christmas Ornament winners are the South Jefferson Elementary School for grades K-2; Overbrook Elementary School for grades 3- 5; Glenwood School for grades 6 - 8; and St. Albans High School for grades
9 - 12.
For more information about the Joyful Night activities, contact Caryn Gresham of the West Virginia Division of Culture and History, at (304) 558-0220.
With the leadership of the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, Kay Goodwin, cabinet secretary, the West Virginia Division of Culture and History brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. Its administrative offices, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, are located at the Culture Center in the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, which also houses the state archives and state museum. The Culture Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. The agency also operates a network of museums and historic sites across the state. For more information about the Division’s programs, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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