Let’s all celebrate Christmas, Chanukah and a new Eagle Scout

Thousands of people descended on downtown Morgan Hill for one of the city’s most beloved events, the annual Morgan Hill Holiday Lights Parade. According to Kiwanis Club officials, 2024 was the largest ever seen with 68 entries and hundreds of participants.

The parade culminated in front of the Community and Cultural Center with the Peninsulaires serenading the crowd, and Santa Claus and Mayor Mark Turner lighting the city’s tree.

“If you were in downtown Morgan Hill on Saturday Night, you witnessed the crowds and the joy yourself, said Dennis Bettencourt, co-chair of the parade along with Margaret Graham.

The parade is organized and run by Morgan Hill Kiwanis, with primary financial support from the city of Morgan Hill. While they said is was at least the 38th year of the parade, they believe it existed well before the 1980s.

“Feedback from attendees and the community has been overwhelming positive, warming our hearts and giving all of us in Kiwanis fuel for the 2025 Holiday Parade,” Graham said.

We’re looking forward to it as well.

While the community celebrated Christmas with the holiday parade, the local Jewish community it getting ready to celebrate Chanukah.

The Chanukah Festival and Menorah Lighting hosted by the Chabad Jewish Center of South County takes place from 4 to 5:30 Dec. 29 at the Downtown Amphitheater. This free and family-friendly event invites the entire South County community to join in the festive spirit of Chanukah. The highlight of the evening will be the Giant Menorah Lighting, accompanied by live music and greetings from local dignitaries, including Morgan Hill Mayor Mark Turner.

“This festival is a celebration of unity and light, welcoming people from all walks of life to come together and share in the joy of Chanukah,” said Rabbi Mendel Liberow, director of the Chabad Jewish Center of South County.

Attendees can look forward to a spectacular fire performance, children’s Chanukah crafts, giant inflatables, free swag, and exciting prizes. Traditional Chanukah foods, including doughnuts and latkes, will be served at no cost, ensuring a delicious experience for all.

This outdoor celebration promises something for everyone, offering an opportunity for the community to come together and embrace the joy and meaning of Chanukah.

To register, visit www.JewishMH.com/chanukah.

While we’re celebrating, let’s celebrate the accomplishments of Sean Wilmot, a 14-year-old freshman at Oakwood School who earned the rank of Eagle Scout Dec. 13, 2024. He learned to use tools and work with friends on classic activities like designing, building, and racing Pinewood Derby cars, constructing planters, fabricating and launching bottle rockets in the park, and engineered and drove soapbox vehicles in Cub Mobile races. He also learned practical skills like camping, cooking, and backpacking. At camp every year he learned new subjects like astronomy, robotics, entrepreneurship, and environmental science and explored exciting new activities and mastered skills like kayaking, geocaching, basketry, and pioneering.

“Learning how to be a leader is the most valuable lesson in all of Scouting,” he said.

A central tenet of The Scout Oath is “to help other people at all times” and volunteering is integral to Scouting. As a member of Troop 730, he picked up trash at the Morgan Hill Mushroom Festival and the Gilroy Garlic Festival, helped park cars at the San Martin Neighborhood Alliance Ice Cream Social and helped serve at their St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast.

His Eagle Scout Project involved restoring a 30-year-old, 100-gallon acrylic aquarium. He designed and attached a new hood with modern programmable lighting. He led a team of 26 volunteers who worked a total of 197 hours during the Labor Day weekend.

“We built a stand from lumber and plywood, capable of supporting a weight of 800 pounds which we sanded, primed, and painted,” he said. “After positioning and leveling the tank in a science room, we created a hillstream biotope aquascape with epiphytic plants, lava rock, dragon stone, and sand. I stocked the tank with 25 harlequin rasboras, 15 neon rainbowfish, 9 panda corydoras, and 6 hillstream loaches. The animals and plants in the aquarium are thriving and are enjoyed every day by students.”

Great job, Sean!