Christmas Unlimited beneficiary in OCCA holiday plans

       Charity will ornament this year's Christmas promotion by the Old Colorado City Associates (OCCA).
       Along with the group's seasonal traditions - colorful lights along the avenue, Santa in the cabin and the annual Breakfast with Santa - the OCCA is partnering with Christmas Unlimited, an 87-year-old regional nonprofit that seeks toy donations for children.
       In keeping with that, the name of the annual holiday campaign by the group of about 60 merchants, restaurateurs and other business owners has been changed this year from the previous “Christmas in Old Colorado City” to “Santa Unlimited.”
       The first of the events will be Saturday, Nov. 20 at 5 p.m. for the “Christmas Tree Lighting” ceremony in the Old Town Plaza at 25th Street and Colorado Avenue.
       This is an annual occasion to mark the lights being turned on in the tall evergreen beside the town clock. A choir from Fox Meadows Middle School will sing, and Santa will be on hand. Earlier that day, volunteers from Colorado Springs Utilities are scheduled to put the lights in the tree as well as along the avenue, event coordinator Rachel Stovall said.
       Upcoming will be the opening of the “Santa Cabin” in Bancroft Park Nov. 27 and Breakfast with Santa at Meadow Muffins Dec. 11. Throughout the campaign will be opportunities to donate toys, at the cabin or participating businesses.
       Christmas Unlimited accepts new toys (requested value is less than $15) and used toys in good condition, according to its website. Suggested toy examples are traditional board games, balls used in sports, building sets (such as Legos), play kitchen items, dolls and action figures and “gently used” bicycles.
       Stovall states in a press release, “Christmas Unlimited is a tried and true non-profit organization run by volunteers. It is so wonderful for Old Colorado City to be able to support such a worthy organization and their cause. When you shop and dine in Old Colorado you can make the holidays wonderful for your family and another family at the same time. This type of giving is what the holidays are all about.”
       Christmas Unlimited Executive Bob Tretheway is also quoted in the press release, noting that the nonprofit distributes toys in a way that “promotes family unity and parental self-worth - having an impact far beyond that of making a child happy on Christmas Day. We are very excited to have the participating restaurants and shops of Old Colorado City help us to serve over 12,000 children in the Colorado Springs area.”
       For more information, call 632-9194 or go to websites - shopoldcoloradocity.com for the OCCA and christmasunlimited.org for the nonprofit.

Westside Pioneer/press release