The South Portland community celebrated the season of light and hope at the Millcreek Tree Lighting Celebration last month, featuring students from South Portland School Department reading poetry.
Hosted annually by South Portland Parks and Recreation, South Portland/Cape Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce, and South Portland Human Rights Commission, the event showcases over 5 miles of lights that are strung around the various trees that grace Millcreek Park in the City of South Portland.
Families and community members enjoyed an outdoor evening wandering around
Millcreek Park, listening to high school musicians sing festive tunes, warming themselves by fire pits, taking selfies with Santa, and greeting neighbors as they sipped hot cocoa and ate popcorn.This year, the theme of light and hope was beautifully represented in the poem and essay selected to be shared that evening. Be The Light, by Mahoney Middle School student Sarah Beth Lupien and Hope and Light, by South Portland High School student Landinha Josefina were read to the crowd. Other poems which earned honorable mention were Imagine… by Victoria Mambu (written in Portuguese and English), Light and Hope by Eme Brown, and Little Firefly by Gretchen Hanley.
This year’s new element was a visual art piece introduced by the South Portland Human Rights Commission. Sputnik Animation, in collaboration with local artists Pedro Vazquez, James LaPlante, Cindy Thompson and Joe Goodwin, introduced a 20 ft. tall fabric structure which could be seen from every corner of Millcreek Park. Authentic images of light and hope from cultures around the world were aslo projected onto a screen throughout the evening. The event also collaborated with South Portland Bus Service to provide free city bus rides, to help families attend the event.
“How amazing for these students to get the chance to express themselves and their cultures through art, leadership, and performance,” said Deqa Dhalac, Maine Department of Education Family Engagement/Cultural Responsiveness Specialist. “At a time when the pandemic has separated us in so many ways, it is so wonderful to see schools and community groups look for ways to stay connected through it all.”
The evening culminated with presentations at the gazebo by outgoing mayor Misha Pride, president of the South Portland/Cape Elizabeth Chamber of Commerce Alice Goodwin, as well as poems on the theme of light and hope shared by South Portland students. DJ Genius Black helped the crowd share in some collective positive energy to turn on the decorated trees around Millcreek Park.
BE THE LIGHT
Sarah Beth Lupien Student at Mahoney Middle School
Hope is a smile Hope is a conversation between strangers Hope is a laugh Hope is a positive message: Be kind, love always Hope is a light in the dark
Light is “I’m here for you” Light is “It will be okay” Light is “I’ll help you” Light is “We’ll get through this together” Light is saying “I love you” and meaning it
So be the sun Rise every day And when darkness surrounds you Find a way to shine again
So be the moon Light up the sky And when you can’t find your light May other help you shine again
When you find yourself in a sea of storms Find your power, find your hope Find the courage to find your light Because the light will not come Because the light does not come The light is already there You are the light So be the light Find the hope Be the light
Hope and Light
Landinha Josefina Student at South Portland High School
What is hope? It is said that hope gives us the strength that we all need to overcome our sadnesses and troubles. Hope is a belief that we all must have, believing that something good will happen, something that will brighten our present and future, something that will make us happy and something that will lighten up our day. Hope comes anytime and any day to lighten up our life. Throughout the pandemics last year we didn’t get the chance to gather here like we are today and that is what I call hope.
Imagine…
Victoria Mambu Student at Memorial Middle School
The destruction the extinction What it means to us the hunger the thirst Imagine being in your home and suddenly not returning To leave the place where you could recreate and be reborn only because of a being who does not know how to live nor understands what survives. Knowing that the same air the animal emanates You also breathe
Imagine…
A destruição a extinção o que isso significa para nós fome sede imagina você estar no seu lar e de repente não voltar deixar o lugar de onde podia procriar e renascer só por causa de um ser que não sabe e compreender o que sobreviver saber que o mesmo ar que você respira o animal também transpira
Light and Hope
Eme Brown Student at Mahoney Middle School
I am walking through the Park I see lights everywhere Those lights give me a spark in my eye A spark that tells me to find faith and hope It took me a while to find it, But eventually I did.
I have faith we will get through the pandemic together I have hope we will have the best holiday season ever Although we have to battle the pandemic We will defeat it together.
Bright holidays to all And to all of us A hopeful night.
Little Firefly
Gretchen Hanley Student at South Portland High School
We’ve traveled long and far Worked tirelessly and hard But even the strongest seemed weak at times After all, we were blindly climbing, searching for a sign So many fell, begging to stay To hold on, at least until day All that we’ve done, those who were lost Some gave up, some couldn’t go on We were swallowed by the dark But through the eclipse we saw a spark One brave soul lit the night It wasn’t much, just a small simple light A single firefly lead the way A single firefly kept us awake But that single firefly turned into more What started with one, soon became four Suddenly a million lights danced through the sky So shine your light little firefly It started so small But it kept us alive
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