ATHENS-Athens Ladies Civitan hosts a holiday party each year for clients at the Mental Health Center. The luncheon includes a performance. This year, Civitan member and Keep Athens-Limestone Beautiful Executive Coordinator Lynne Hart wrote a poem and asked Athens Fire, Athens Police and Mayor Ronnie Marks to participate. The poem called “Athens Christmas Heroes” is about a heavy snow storm causing a power outage in Athens, and Santa and his reindeer being unable to find the city until Athens Fire and Athens Police started shining bright spotlights into the sky, thereby saving Christmas.There is quite a story of a Christmas past,
Officers Neal Muse and Brandon Colburn, Santa, and Capt. Trevor Harris at Operation Santa Claus
when in Athens, Alabama Christmas was coming fast.
Everyone was rushing ’round the Courthouse Square,
To buy last minute presents and wrap them with care.
The weather was changing and was quite a surprise,
As huge snowflakes came down from out of the skies.
It fell and it fell and piled up oh so deep,
Mayor Marks said, “I know that I won’t get much sleep.”
The weathermen said it would be a light snow,
But it kept coming down and made quite a show!
The children were giddy as they watched it pile up,
“We’ll build snowmen, make snowballs, and have snow cream in our cups!”
Then all of a sudden the storm caused a shout,
“Oh, my goodness, it can’t be! The lights have gone out!
How will Santa find us with no lights to guide him?”
Now for sure Mayor Marks knew that sleep would not find him
Santa’s sleigh had been loaded with presents galore,
Firefighters Giles Durisseau and Colton Hill with Deputy Fire Chief Bryan Thornton using lights to help Santa find Athens during the reading of the poem, “Athens Christmas Heroes.”
But the elves told the reindeer, “We have so much more!”
The reindeer, who were trying to stay out of the way,
Wondered how in the world they could pull such a sleigh!
As they headed toward Athens it was not to be found,
They only saw darkness as they searched all around.
People all over Athens were watching the storm,
But saw something else that was out of the norm.
Out of the darkness came several bright lights,
Shining up through the snow clouds and into the night.
It was Athens firefighters and police all around,
Using spotlights to shine to the sky from the ground.
Mayor Marks shouted, “Everyone keep those lights bright!
Lynne Hart reads her poem
We must guide Santa’s reindeer to Athens this night.
Men and women of Athens, your task as it’s storming:
To be sure there are presents under each tree in the morning!”
As Santa came closer to Athens that night,
He saw in the distance a convergence of light.
He knew in a flash it was Athens ahead,
And he hoped all the children were snug in their beds.
Santa was lead to each home in the town,
He found every last chimney he had to slide down.
The children awoke with squeals of delight,
Athens’ Christmas was saved by our heroes that night!
By Lynne Hart
