CAN DO Community Christmas will celebrate 25th anniversary December 6
Silver bells will ringing as CAN DO Community Christmas marks its 25th anniversary. The CAN DO Student Action Committee will host the annual event featuring musical performances from students throughout Greater Hazleton on Wednesday, December 6 from 6-7:30 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Church, located on the corner of Church and Green streets in downtown Hazleton.
The public is invited to attend this free event, which features performances by choral groups, orchestras and jazz bands. This year’s performers include the MMI Preparatory School Chamber Ensemble under the direction of Tina Lizbinski, the McAdoo-Kelayres Elementary/Middle School Mustang Chorus under the direction of Sandra Hoppey, the Hazleton Area High School Chamber Singers under the direction of Kim Sharonoff, the Hazleton Area High School Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Joseph Stefanko and the Heights Terrace Elementary School Third Grade Chorus under the direction of Rachel Brimmer.
In addition to the music, children can make their Christmas lists at the Letters to Santa table and visit with Santa Claus himself at the end of the evening. CAN DO Student Action Committee members will be on hand to greet attendees, serve refreshments and help children craft their letters to Santa. Student Action Committee co-adviser Nancy Stasko said that the Student Action Committee members are looking forward to bringing the community together to celebrate the holiday season.
CAN DO Student Action Committee delivers items for 13th annual Operation: CAN DO drive
The CAN DO Student Action Committee delivered a collection of dozens of boxes of items to the American Legion Post 473 in Freeland Thursday as part of the 13th annual Operation: CAN DO drive.
The collected food, entertainment and personal hygiene items will be used to create care packages that will be delivered to soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines serving abroad who have ties to Greater Hazleton. Numerous school groups, businesses and individuals from throughout Greater Hazleton participated in the collection of the items.
Charles Burkhardt, Student Action Committee co-adviser, thanked the community for its generosity to this year’s Operation: CAN DO drive and urged community members to share the names and contact information of any military members with ties to Greater Hazleton.
Those with family members or friends serving abroad who would like their relatives or friends to receive one of the packages can submit names and contact information to CAN DO, c/o Nancy Stasko, 1 S. Church St., 200 Renaissance Center, Hazleton, PA 18201. They may also call 570-455-1508 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Nancy Stasko, Student Action Committee co-adviser, said, “Operation: CAN DO is a very heartwarming project for the Student Action Committee members each year because it’s a chance for the community to come together to show support to the servicemen and servicewomen from our community who commit their lives to serving our country.”
Area schools join Operation: CAN DO to help create military care packages
Students from elementary/middle and high schools throughout Greater Hazleton teamed up with the CAN DO Student Action Committee to collect dozens of boxes of non-perishable food and personal hygiene items as part of the 13th annual Operation: CAN DO drive. The items collected will be used to create care packages for military members with ties to Greater Hazleton who will be stationed overseas for the holidays.
The Student Action Committee coordinates this project every year as a thank you to our many local servicemen and servicewomen and would like to see each one of those military members receive a package in time for the upcoming holiday season. Residents throughout Greater Hazleton are encouraged to submit names and addresses of any family members or friends who are actively serving in the military and have ties to Greater Hazleton. Names can be submitted to Nancy Stasko, Student Action Committee adviser, by calling 570-455-1508 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Names can also be mailed to “Operation: CAN DO,” c/o Nancy Stasko, 1 S. Church St., Suite 200, Hazleton, PA 18201.