❄️ ✨
Hello Friends of the CMCA!
We hope you’ve had a wonderful start to the New Year! You may have noticed it’s been a little quiet around here for the last two months, but don't let the silence fool you, it wasn't for a lack of activity. In fact, we’ve been very busy throughout November and December, right on into January!
As always, we appreciate your continued support in our mission to enhance the lives of children in Catonsville and our surrounding communities. We wanted to take a moment to step out of our "holiday hiatus" and share a recap of the magic we made together.
🎄 The Catonsville Tree Lighting
The annual Tree Lighting ceremony is always a highlight of the year, and 2025 was no exception! The turnout was incredible, and the community spirit was palpable.
By the Numbers ☕ 🍪
We certainly kept Catonsville warm! We handed out 45 gallons of hot chocolate (that’s roughly 500 cups!) and ten cases of cookies. We learned a lot about cookie and cocoa logistics this year and are already looking at ways to improve and streamline for next time to ensure a smooth flow of refreshments throughout the event. A big Thank You to our friends at Jennings for their generosity and contributions to help make this happen!
Santa’s "Fire Drill" Arrival 🎅 🚒
You may have noticed that Santa was a few minutes late to his own party once the tree was lit. Just as we gave the signal to deliver the Big Guy, the local fire truck assigned to him received an emergency call. It resulted in a bit of a "fire drill" to get Santa repositioned onto a backup truck!
We love and appreciate our Station #4 first responders and understand that duty may call, regardless of the festivities. Thus, to ensure Santa arrives on time (and to keep our emergency vehicles ready for action without delay), we’ve passed a motion to use a private and festive fire truck as Santa’s primary ride starting this year.
Safety & Sound 🦺 🎶
We want to give a huge shoutout to Tears for Devere and The Palovations for their incredible, festive performances that set the perfect mood. Regarding safety, we’re planning to expand the "No Parking" zones and use additional vehicles to block entrances next year to make the event even safer for the ever growing crowds we see each year.
Looking to the Future of the Tree
Our current tree is unfortunately starting to show its age. A huge thank you to everyone who purchased a long-sleeve T-shirt or hoodie during our tree fundraising drive and to Pat's Porch for selling them! Those funds are going directly toward replacing our ailing tree in 2026. We want to keep this cherished tradition alive for generations to come.
📅 Save the Date: Mark your calendars for November 28th, 2026 for the next Tree Lighting!
🏠 Magic at the Santa House
After the Tree Lighting, the Santa House was buzzing with holiday cheer every weekend up til Christmas! You may have even seen the Santa House featured in the non-profit spotlight in the December Issue of the Catonsville Neighbors publication. We want to extend a massive Thank You to the talented groups that provided the soundtrack for our visits:
- CHS Steel Drum Band
- Mt. De Sales Academy Choir
- Tears for Devere
- Hillcrest Teachers (who did a wonderful job reading holiday stories! 📚 🍎)
Special thanks also to Vernon Treuth at Treuth Drone Services for capturing drone shots of the Santa House, and to Eric Collins at Catonsville Electric for his expertise operating the lift to decorate the tree and donating significant electrical work on the Santa House including the ability to keep the house lights burning bright dimmable this season! 📸 💡
And of course, thank you to all the families who came out to visit Santa and Mrs. Claus. Seeing those smiles makes all the hard work worth it!
🎁 Spreading Joy at RICA
This holiday season, the CMCA made a significant contribution to RICA, providing holiday gifts for roughly 55 students and residents. Each recipient received their gift along with a thoughtful note, beautifully handwritten in calligraphy with a message of encouragement and inspiration. 🎁 🖋️
We also hosted a special event at RICA featuring motivational speaker Danny Morrissey. The students were deeply engaged with his message and asked some fantastic follow-up questions. Afterward, we threw a pizza party featuring magician Bill Gross. 🍕 🪄
The magic didn't end when the show was over, we were told that the very next morning, several residents woke up and immediately began practicing the magic tricks they had learned the night before! We are so grateful to RICA for hosting us and look forward to making this an annual tradition once again.
Thank You!
Whether you bought a shirt, drank a cup of cocoa, or volunteered your time, thank you. The CMCA only works because of the incredible community behind us.
We can't wait to see what we can accomplish together in 2026. Spring is just around the corner so stay tuned! 🐰 🐣
Also, if you haven't subscribed already you can subscribe to our newsletter to get future updates delivered to your inbox.