Baldwin community turned the lights up

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Typically after Thanksgiving, residents across Long Island hurry to hang up the Christmas lights, the same is true in Baldwin.

The Chamber of Commerce invited the Baldwin community to join them at their annual tree lighting ceremony on Dec. 4 at the Baldwin Historical Society located 1980 Grand Ave. from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The chamber invited the Baldwin community to share the day together and enjoy free refreshments, entertainment, and a visit from Santa. Guests were invited to bring in toys to donate to Toys for Tots — a nationwide toy drive ran by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, who provide gifts for children whose parents cant afford to purchase gifts for the holidays.

Likewise, on Nov. 25 the day after Thanksgiving, the Giles family tree located on the corner of Irving Pl. and Harte St. turned on its Christmas lights for the community to enjoy. The Baldwin Fire Department visited the house on their Santa route, and entertained a crowd of guests who showed up to take pictures.

The Giles family started the tradition of lighting their 85-foot tall tree in 1971, when Nathaniel Giles passed away. Since then Katherine and Elizabeth Giles, Nathaniel Giles’ daughters, have carried on the tradition but are struggling to afford to maintain and pay for the tree lighting service since their mother Joan Giles passed away in August of 2021. They are still raising funds to ensure they can afford to carry on the tradition into the future. To donate go to TinyURL.com/pbts2k2n.