Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, WV

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July 7, 2011

$10,000 to go: Relighting of Bluewell reaches halfway point

KATE COIL Bluefield Daily Telegraph

BLUEWELL — A campaign to raise money for the purchase new Christmas decorations for the Bluewell and Brushfork area has reached its halfway point.

According to Skip Crane, a member of the Bluewell Improvement Association, community contributions have raised $10,000 of the $20,000 needed to purchase new holiday lights along Route 52. The campaign, known as “the Relighting of Bluewell” was started in early June to help replace current lights, which were originally purchased more than 25 years ago.

“We just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has donated,” Crane said. “Save-A-Lot has donated a lot of the food for our breakfasts and events. We have also had four contributors give at least $1,000 to the campaign including Ron Martin, Grant’s Supermarket, Rish Equipment and Cravenshire’s Funeral Home. Many have also bought an entire snowflake light for $415, such as Jimmy Davis, Jim Webb, Four Seasons Answering Service, Bluewell Garage, Buddy Warden, Belchers Hydralics and Mining Belts, and Phyllis Miles.”

Crane said members of the community have worked together in order to make relighting the area a reality.

“This is just a wonderful project to make our town prettier during the holiday season, and it makes people feel good to say they helped buy these decorations.” Crane said. “It is so nice and fulfilling to see our community working together like this.”

The group is still hoping to raise an additional $10,000 soon in order to purchase lights during the summertime, when they are cheapest to purchase.

“We are hoping to buy 50 snowflakes as well as four eight-foot tall snowmen tipping their hats,” Crane said. “Anyone who wants to see what the lights will look like can see examples at the First Community Bank in Bluewell. There are donation jars available at both banks and in most Bluewell and Brushfork businesses.”

The association is also sponsoring a pancake breakfast on July 16 from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Bluewell Methodist Church. The event is $5 for an all-you-can-eat breakfast. Tickets are available at local businesses as well as at the door the day of the event.

According to Crane, residents can keep track of how much money has been raised at the fundraising thermometer created by Wendy Wellman at the intersection of Route 20 and Route 52 in Bluewell.

Crane said the group is hoping to host a first lighting of the new decorations in the fall.

“We are hoping to have a big celebration around Thanksgiving to celebrate the initial hanging and lighting of our new lights,” Crane said. “We are hoping to have the Deliverance Temple Choir there to perform as well.”

The new lights will cover three miles of highway along Route 52 from the intersection at Airport Road to the intersection of Lorton Lick Road and the highway between Brushfork and Bluewell.

According to Crane, the money for the fundraiser is being taken in through the Bluewell Volunteer Fire Department, which is a tax-exempt organization.

Though checks should be made out to the Bluewell Volunteer Fire Department, Crane said they should be mailed to Margaret Shires, the chair of the Bluewell Improvement Association.

Checks should be mailed to Margaret Shires, Attn: Christmas Lights Fund, Route 3 Box 20, Bluefield, West Virginia, 24701.

Anyone with questions regarding the fundraiser can call Margaret Shires at 304-589-5217.

— Contact Kate Coil at

kcoil@bdtonline.com

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