As Exodus Homes began preparing for its sixth annual Christmas Lights Festival and Food Crawl, the organization discovered that a leaky roof in its warehouse had caused extensive water damage to most of the lights and Christmas decorations used to light up Eighth Avenue Drive, SW, in Ridgeview for an event that has become a community tradition.
The warehouse in Hickory is rented, and the faith-based United Way agency does not have renter's insurance on the warehouse contents, mostly donated furniture.
Exodus Homes is asking the community to help by donating indoor/outdoor white icicle lights, colored lights, inflatable lighted decorations, other Christmas decorations and extension cords.
This year's festival is scheduled for Dec. 7 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
"This has always been a free event to bless the community, and we need the community to help make it happen this year," said the Rev. Reggie Longcrier of Exodus Homes.
The Christmas Lights Festival and Food Crawl is a street festival that starts when Mayor Rudy Wright lights up a rooftop nativity scene to signal the start of the event.
Family fun is tied together by participants "crawling" between six Exodus Homes locations on Eighth Avenue Drive, SW, sampling free food from Olive Garden, Chick-fil-A, Texas Roadhouse, Taste Full Beans CoffeeHouse, Biscuitville and Delectable Morsels By Val.
Multi-cultural Santas will be strolling around with candy for kids. Other attractions will include performances by the Exodus Missionary Outreach Choir, Church of the Master's Chimes Choir, Unifour Christian Fellowship Praise and Worship Team and Puppet Ministry, and other local church ministries.
Susan Smith, Exodus Homes assistant executive director, is optimistic about this year's festival despite the setback with the damaged decorations.
"The Grinch could not steal Christmas, and water damage can't steal our Christmas festival," Smith said.
"We'll do the best we can with what we have — that's the Exodus way."
Donated items for the Christmas Lights Festival can be brought to the Exodus Homes office at 122 Eighth Ave. Drive, SW. Exodus Homes also will pick up donated items.
Financial donations for the Christmas Lights Festival can be mailed to P.O. Box 3311, Hickory, N.C. 28603 or given through the Web site at www.exodushomes.org.
For more information, contact Susan Smith at 962-8196 or susansmith@charter.net.
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