WS Chronicle

The corner of E. Fifth Street and Laura Wall Boulevard was filled with holiday cheer last Saturday afternoon, Dec. 15, as dozens of residents, business owners and others with vested interest in the community gathered for the first-ever East Winston Tree Lighting Ceremony.

An expansion of an annual event hosted by Other Suns, an event space located on Laura Wall Blvd., where children get to visit with Santa, this year businesses and nonprofits in the East Winston community came together to make the event even bigger.

Along with the chance to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas, children had the opportunity to create their own ornaments to hang on the 14-ft tree. While creating the ornaments, children and others from the East Winston community enjoyed hot chocolate and carols from local choirs.

When discussing the growth of the event, attorney Hazel Mack, owner of Other Suns, said she got the idea to bring Santa to the East Winston community from longtime recreation center director Ben Piggott. She said for years Piggott hired a “Black Santa” during the holiday season. Mack said she was excited to see the event grow this year with the help of her fellow business owners in the East Ward.

Partnering sponsors included Winston-Salem State University, Honorable Youth, Inc., Giving Angels, Eliza’s Helping Hands, Forsyth Seafood, Dr. Johnathan Weston, Triad Cultural Arts, and S.G. Atkins CDC.

“To give full credit where it’s due. Ben Piggott used to do Black Santa years ago, but it’s such a great thing,” said Mack. “We felt it was important to bring the residents of East Winston together because if it’s going to happen, we need to do it.”

With the expected coming of redevelopment in the East Winston community, Mack said that although a lot of residents don’t see where they fit in with the changes, the group of small businesses in the area decided to do their part to bring people together.

“It’s only coming together that we can actually have any influence on what’s happening.”