Volunteer decorators needed for Longboat chapel's Christmas event

It's time to start rocking around the Christmas trees at the Longboat Island Chapel.

Christmas in the Garden is right around the corner and the Chapel is looking for volunteers to help decorate. 

For the fourth year in a row, the community will come together when they need it the most to celebrate the holidays at the Chapel's Christmas in the Garden: A Celebration of Lights and Music. 

Chapel and community members decorate a variety of Christmas trees with unique themes in its garden to enjoy for the holiday season. Longboaters can attend Christmas in the Garden throughout December while listening to special music performances, sipping on hot cocoa and eating homemade cookies.

Photo by Petra Rivera

After hurricanes Helene and Milton, the Rev. Brock Patterson was determined to keep this tradition to provide hope while people recover. 

"A lot of people actually lost their holiday decorations because all of those were kept either in their garage or in their bottom floors, and that's what's flooded," said Patterson. "So, hopefully, this will provide the opportunity for them to decorate if they can't do it at home."

Since the hurricanes put them behind schedule, volunteers are needed to help decorate 22 trees and put out Christmas decorations. It provides a great opportunity to help the community move forward and to meet fellow Longboaters.

This year, a community tree will be set up for anyone to bring a special ornament to hang on it. It will represent the saying "Longboat Key Strong" as the community works to recuperate.

People can help out Monday through Friday, except for Thanksgiving Day, decorating trees from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. until the opening day of Dec. 1. Once it is open to the public, volunteers are welcome to help set up special music performances throughout the month, especially on New Year's Eve. 

"It will be different than last year for sure because we had 35 trees last year," said Co-Chair Lesley Rife. "It won't be the same because of how the hurricanes affected the Chapel. The garden is a little barren right now, but we will fill it up with Christmas decorations because the community needs this."

For more information, contact Rife at [email protected] or Kelly Shrout at [email protected].