Leesburg Luminary winning essays
The Leesburg royalty reigned Sunday night during the village’s annual festival of lights, visiting open houses at town businesses and reading their essays at the community church service.
Here are the students’ essays.
King Jake Cox
Luminary Sunday is a special day to spend with friends and family, but what is this tradition?
If you don’t know, you are about to find out. Luminaries are wonderful bags of hope for people who have eye problems. For the rest of us, they are pretty bags of light. Don’t forget what the bags are really for.
Luminary was started by the Lions Club to help raise money for individuals who can’t afford eye care, those who are blind, and those who are becoming blind.
The Lions Club also helps with community projects like feeding the hungry, caring for the environment, and helping the elderly.
Luminary Sunday in Leesburg involves lines of bright bags with candle flames dancing inside. Setting up the bags include filling the bottom with gritty sand and then placing a candle inside.
Hundreds of cars can be seen driving through the small town while people enjoy a hot, sweet cup of cocoa.
The smell of candle wax and chocolate ignites the air while the sounds of Christmas carols fill the air.
Luminary Sunday makes me excited because it is fun to spend the evening with family while looking at all of the pretty Christmas lights and luminary bags. It also helps to remind us that if we can see the lights, we are fortunate.
* * *
Queen Kylie Heizer
Have you ever heard about Luminary Sunday? Luminary Sunday is a special event in the Leesburg Friendly Village.
On Luminary night, the streets are lit up with candles. There are bags with sand inside and a candle on top. This represents “Guiding the Way.”
The Lions Club is why we are having Luminary Sunday each year on the second Sunday of every December.
The Lions Club helps prevent blindness. They supply eyeglasses for those who cannot afford them.
The Lions Club also has fundraisers a lot, and they will even build wheelchair ramps for the people who need it. Each year, they will have a writing contest where the sixth-graders will write what Luminary Sunday means to them, and the lions Club represent a King, Queen, Prince, and Princess chosen by the Senior English Class. The Lions Club will do anything to help those in need. They will make a big difference each and every day.
On Luminary Sunday, the streets are bright with each candle lit. Walking up and down the streets, you’ll smell the delicious snacks being served.
You’ll smell cookies, donuts, hot chocolate, and much more. The Leesburg Community joins together and watches this important event.
There is peace and quiet and a beautiful night. Most kids enjoy seeing Santa and drinking hot chocolate.
Luminary Sunday makes me feel happy because when the Leesburg Village comes together learning the true meaning of Christmas, it makes me happy.
You learn to appreciate what you have. Luminary Sunday is an extraordinary day each year.
* * *
Prince Cody Ayers
Do you know what Luminary Sunday in Leesburg is? If not, you definitely need to check this out. Luminary means “a source of light.”
On Luminary Sunday, the citizens of Leesburg set out bags with lit candles in them with sand in the bottom.
Luminary started in 1988, which is 26 years ago. People decorate their houses in hopes of winning “best decorated house.”
This is a time to sit back and relax and get into the Christmas spirit.
The Lions Club sponsors Luminary Sunday. The money collected from the luminary goes to a mission to cure preventable blindness.
Leesburg Lions Club helps people locally to worldwide. There are 1.3 million men and women in 205 different countries supporting eye hospitals, assisting the youth providing help in times of disaster and much more.
Leesburg on Luminary Sunday is absolutely breathtaking with all of its brightly lit up candles. Seeing everyone’s smiles gets me into the Christmas spirit.
I hear the excited shouts coming from the kids who visit Santa Clause. The candles’ smoke goes into my nose and gives me a warm feeling. “The Friendly Village” is most friendly on this night.
* * *
Princess Allyce McBee
Have you ever seen Luminary Sunday? Luminaries are candles that go in a bag or milk jug with sand in the bottom. Luminary Sunday is about raising money for people with needs.
Usually you put luminary candles on your porch or on the sidewalk in front of your house.
Every year, the Lions Club organizes Luminary Sunday in Leesburg.
All the money raised goes to help people with preventable blindness.
The money also helps with health screenings, buildings parks and scholarships.
The Lions Clubs also helped clean up after Hurricane Katrina
Luminary Sunday is an amazing sight. Luminary candles light up the entire town. Up and down the streets, along sidewalks even on porches, smells of popcorn and hot chocolate are
mesmerizing.
Luminary Sunday makes me feel in the Christmas spirit. Luminary Sunday brings the community closer together.
It makes me want to give more and take less.
In conclusion, Luminary Sunday is a very important day in our town.