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Show -NEWS- Spanish Fork A8 • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2007 Covering what matter's most Dept. Amy Baum / Spanish Fork News CHRISTMAS ANGELS: The annual Christmas vigil was held at Spanish Fork cemetary on Dec. 6. Families gathered to remember lost loved ones. Christmas Box vigil held Amy Baum STAFF WRITER A special thanks to Lisa Montague for all her help with this article. Namon Bills / Spanish Fork News RAINY TRAINING: Members of the Spanish Fork Fire Department met for training exercises Saturday, Dec. 8. In the rain and mud, firefighters got experience with tools to used extricate victims from damaged vehicles. ...Al ofi doing 6u5ine66 the, tight ::/v UMUJ. No Bah Humbug Here! /-;,-;: [Even the elves want in on this) Stop by our showroom, guess how many Cinnamon Santa's are in the giant jar (closest guess wins) and well give you a necessary. Must lie driver 2534 North 200 East • Spanish Fork • 798-3553 www.smFthfords.net . ui This time of year, most families are celebrating the wonderful holiday season. However, some families are trying to celebrate while they also grieve over a lost child. Every year since 1999 these families gather on Dec. 6 at 7:00 p.m. to honor their lost child and comfort each other during this time of celebration/sadness. Mikki and Larry Johnson are the people that host this vigil each year. Their grandson passed away in 1997 his name is Tyler Johnson he was just two and a half months old. Two years later in 1999, the Johnsons began to raise money to have the Christmas pox Angel erected in the Spanish Fork Cemetery. It took them only six months to collect the money needed. The Angel was dedicated in July of 1999 by Richard Paul Evans. This man wrote The Christmas Box Angel. If you are not familiar with this story, it is a touching story of a widow and a young family who move in with her. Together they discover the first gift of Christmas and learn what Christmas is really all about. Each year there is a speaker and a musical number, and this year the speaker was Lynn Whittaker, a social worker and is currently working as a hospice worker. She spoke of how we need to try and view the vigil as a celebration of the gift our children were in our lives even though our time may have been short they are still a blessing and a gift from God. Sisters Amy Blackburn and Megan Hanks gave the musical number: "God Speed" by the Dixie Chicks. The ceremony Lisa. They welcomed any is brought to a close by the donation offered for the hot singing of "Silent Night" by chocolate and cookies, but it all who attended, then lighting was provided to all attending of candles and placing a white free of charge as a gesture of carnation at the base of the love and celebration of the children. Christmas Angel. All the money raised that In December it can get pretty cold in the evenings, evening was given to the so Lisa and Clint Montague Johnsons to help fund the thought it would be nice to Christmas Angel in the future. have something warm to Lisa said, "My husband offer the people attending. and I intend on doing this Reams in Springville fundraiser each year. Our generously donated cookies first year at the Vigil was in for those attending. Macey's 2005 after the passing of our in Spanish Fork also donated children it was such a great cookies and hot chocolate. experience and such a special The Montagues wanted evening. It means so much to do this in honor of their to us as parents of children twins Codey Clint Montague who have passed away to and Kelley Lynn Montague. have an evening dedicated to Kelley passed away in the our Angels. You are always third month of pregnancy searching for a way to bring and their son Codey was them into your lives and born on Jan.7, 2004 and lived this ceremony gives us that for a brief five days. Codey opportunity." is buried in Baby Land in There are 32 Angel babies the Spanish Fork Cemetery. in Baby Land at the Spanish Codey's headstone is in the Fork Cemetery and many shape of a teddy bear. more throughout the rest of the "Codey and Kelley made cemetery. This is a great way such a mark in our lives. for the community to support They touched our whole those parents, grandparents, family in so many ways and aunts, uncles, cousins and we wanted to do something friends whose children have in their honor," stated been taken too soon. IN MEMOKY KELLEY LYNN MONTAGUE "COUl.VS Amy Baum / Spanish Fork News CHRISTMAS LIGHTS: Citizens gathered at the vigil to show love and support for those who have lost their children. ALA to host Christmas program A new Christmas tradition is about to unfold at American Leadership Academy. Utilizing the combined talents of the Drama, Band, Orchestra, Dance, Musical Theater, Jazz Band and Art students, ALA will present a wonderful program to celebrate the season. The show features different talents each night for the 1st half of the show which is primarily a showcase for secular favorites and Christmas standards: Thursday (December 13th) features the Orchestra, Friday (December 14th) is the Band, Saturday (December 15th) is the Combined Choirs, and Monday (December 17th) showcases the Jazz Band, Chamber Choir and Musical Theater Ensemble. Then the second half is an interpretation of the Nativity story as told through the villagers of Bethlehem. The Combined Orchestra and V Band will be accompanying a 55-voice choir of Angels and the Nativity will be enacted by Drama Students. Much of the music has been arranged by Marcell Bowman (Orchestra teacher) and Greg Duffin (Chorus teacher) who both arrange music for many groups including the Tabernacle Choir. The nativity script has been written by theater veteran Elaine Hansen. She has based the story on the porcelain characters in her Fontanini Nativity Set. The entire auditorium will feel as if they were there that famous night at the manger. Also, on Friday, Saturday, and Monday night you can enjoy a pre-show Gala in the cafeteria with the Musical Theater Ensemble singing your favorite Broadway Chri stmas songs complete with choreography and costumes. The Gala includes a catered dessert treat, as well as pre-reserved seating in the first six rows of the auditorium. Cost for these tickets are $12 per Adult and $10 for Children or students. There are only 75 tickets for the gala each night. Tickets can be purchased from the front desk at ALA's Junior High Building. Because of food counts, all tickets for the pre-show Gala must be presold. There will not be any available at the door. Show time for the Gala is 6:30 p.m. Regular tickets (available at the door — each night) are $7 for Adults and $5 for Children and Students. Show time for the main show is 7:30 p.m.each night. We hope that we can bring and focus the beauty of this season with this wonderful program. It is our hope "to bring to the community a wonderful new presentation of the Nativity. , |