Aurora invites residents to make ornaments for holiday tree

Aurora is hanging the word “community” all over the city's Christmas tree this year by asking residents to make ornaments for the official holiday evergreen.

The city's tree wearing its festive attire will be lit at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 24, at North Island Center, 8 E. Galena Blvd., as it has in years past.

“We've just put lights on (in the past),” said Sanura Young, events coordinator for Aurora. “(We're) really wanting to make our tree more of a community tree in terms of the ornaments.”

The holiday tree, which is donated by a resident, will have plenty of space for the decorations.

“It's a large tree. It's more than 25 feet tall,” Young said.

So children and adults are invited to let loose their imaginations, take out the glue and glitter, and create ornaments that meet the following specifications: at least 8 inches in diameter; made of weatherproof materials; not heavy; no sharp edges; and string or twine to hang them that is looped and 10 to 12 inches long.

The ornaments will not be returned.

Young said she already has received inquires from schools and senior citizen facilities about the project.

Ornaments must be turned in with a submission form that may be downloaded at aurora-il.org. The decorations must be dropped off by 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12, at city hall, 44 E. Downer Place; at the Special Events Office, 5 E. Downer Place, Suite A; or at the Customer Service Center, 3770 McCoy Road.

The annual tree-lighting ceremony will be attended by the winners of the Miss Merry Christmas and Jack Frost contests and, perhaps, even by Santa Claus.

For details, call (630) 256-3370.