Earlier this month, the CAN DO Student Action Committee hosted its 24th annual CAN DO Community Christmas at Christ Lutheran Church in Hazleton.

The free event was designed around a theme of “Come Celebrate the Arts” and featured musical performances by students in schools throughout Greater Hazleton, refreshments, a Letters to Santa table where children wrote their Christmas wishes and a visit from Santa Claus himself.

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.

CAN DO Community Christmas was coordinated by co-chairs Kayla Leonard, of MMI Preparatory School, and Jenna O’Donnell, of Marian High School, under the direction of co-advisers Stasko and Charles Burkhardt. Additional Student Action Committee members are: Lauren Pataki, Gerald Gasser, Mark Abdelmalek and Alexandra Rentz of Hazleton Area High School; Dominic Yannuzzi and Michael Kulish of Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences; Pemely Guzman and Christopher Danishefsky of Immanuel Christian School; Corrin Dagostin of Marian High School; Joshua Narrow, Zachary Gera and Jakob Schwabe of MMI Preparatory School; and Samantha DeSpirito and Jillian Bartel of Weatherly Area High School.

Sponsors for this year’s event included Arc Electric, Gottstein Corporation, Humboldt Industrial Supply, Keystone Job Corps and WYLN.