Hundreds of children and adults enjoyed a festive kickoff to the holiday season during the 23rd annual CAN DO Community Christmas on Wednesday evening.

CAN DO Community Christmas “Come Celebrate the Arts” featured music from several school groups performing at Christ Lutheran Church in downtown Hazleton.

CAN DO Community Christmas is coordinated by CAN DO’s Student Action Committee, made up of local high school students who plan and assist with special community projects throughout the year. Committee members Dominic Mussoline of Marian High School and Monica Abdelmalek of Hazleton Area High School served as this year’s co-chairs for CAN DO Community Christmas.

CAN DO Chairman of the Board Dr. John Madden said, “This event is a wonderful way to gather the community together to celebrate the holiday season. On behalf of the CAN DO Board of Directors, I’d like to thank all of tonight’s performers for sharing their talents with us. I’d also like to thank the CAN DO Student Action Committee and the Community Relations Committee for their hard work in putting together this incredible night.”

Featured performers included the MMI Chamber Ensemble, directed by Tina Lizbinski; the Hazleton Area High School Chamber Singers, directed by Kim Sharonoff; the Heights-Terrace Elementary/Middle School Jazz Ensemble, directed by Jennifer Gerhard; the Hazleton Area High School Jazz Ensemble, directed by Joseph Stefanko; and the Heights-Terrace Elementary/Middle School third-grade chorus, directed by Rachel Brimmer.

Each student who performed at CAN DO Community Christmas received a T-shirt. The children in attendance also wrote letters to Santa Claus with the help of the students on the committee and were able to have their photos taken with Santa. Students at the Keystone Job Corps provided cookies for the event.

Additional Student Action Committee members are Morgan O’Hara, Natalie Alcantara, Lauren Pataki and Gerald Gasser, Hazleton Area High School; Dominic Yannuzzi, Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences; Anthony Kimsal and Pemely Guzman, Immanuel Christian School; Jenna O’Donnell, Marian High School; Brendan Drusda, Kayla Leonard and Joshua Narrow, MMI Preparatory School; and Trent Dempsey and Samantha DeSpirito, Weatherly Area High School. Charles Burkhardt, CAN DO board member, and Nancy Stasko, CAN DO director of administration, are advisers to the Student Action Committee.

Sponsors for this year’s CAN DO Community Christmas are WYLN, Keystone Job Corps, Arc Electric, Gottstein Corp., Humboldt Industrial Supply and Tootsie Roll Industries.