Christmas cheer in Elgin melts winter's cold
The painful, bitter cold was not enough to put Elgin's Christmas cheer on ice.
More than 120 people turned out Sunday for the first ever community Christmas singalong, held inside the welcoming warmth of the First Congregational Church.
Inside the east side church was the local band, Blue Tulip Wranglers, as well as a series of other musicians and singers who provided the music. Hot cocoa, cider and coffee kept everyone nice and toasty.
Sunday's songbook included, "Jingle Bells," "Feliz Navidad," "White Christmas" and "Let it Snow" and people enthusiastically sang and clapped along to the music.
Church member Jean Hempstead was delighted to see that her favorites "Silent Night" and "Little Town of Bethlehem" included in the lineup. She and her friend Pat Jocies, like many other attendees, were dressed for the season. Jocies wore a navy blue sweater with snowmen embroidered into the fabric, while Hempstead had on a bright red jacket with a green scarf tied around her neck that featured Christmas trees.
Jocies said the music and songs were just what she needed to usher in the Christmas spirit.
"I do enjoy it. It's a joyful, happy time," Jocies said.
Half of the proceeds from the Sunday singalong will go to PADS of Elgin, while the remaining 50 percent will help pay for indoor and outdoor renovations inside the church's eastern wing, church officials said.
The project is estimated to cost $2.2 million. The church currently has about $250,000 it can put toward construction.