CRANE HILL, Ala. – Trident Marina on Smith Lake held its inaugural Christmas celebration Sunday. Organized by Trident Marina Group CFO/Owner Jeff Tolbert and Cindy Myrex of Lake Homes Realty, the event was filled with activities for children and adults to enjoy. Friend of the organizers and Smith Lake resident, David Bunn, volunteering as Santa Claus, made his entrance by boat, making an unforgettable occasion for the little ones in attendance.
Children had the opportunity to meet Santa, write him letters and get their picture taken. They could also take a hayride around the Marina, enjoy the bounce houses and partake in a hot chocolate bar. After dark, visitors stayed to watch the tree lighting and enjoy the beautiful scenery while being treated to hors d’oeuvres at The Grille at Trident Marina, as well as rock n’ roll bingo. All activities were free.
The event was also used as an opportunity to collect toys, food and cash donations for families in need of assistance during the holiday season. Organizers plan to decide on local churches and schools as drop-offs for the donations. Coats were collected to be donated to Sacred Heart Church.
The first Christmas at Trident Marina saw more than 200 guests including 85 plus children who were able to tell Santa their Christmas wishes. The event began with the desire to add holiday cheer and décor to the marina. Organizers Tolbert and Myrex decided to host a tree lighting to kick off the holiday season and invite guests to the marina. Following the giving spirit of the season, the event grew to include a visit from Santa and donation collections.
Myrex said, “The driving force is to bring our community together and to have things that we offer here as a hub for our community.”
Tolbert said the community has been generous to Trident Marina, so he wanted to give back. “We have such a big lake community and so many people forget about the lake from Labor Day till Memorial Day, so this is one of the things that we wanted to do to give back to the local kids.”
Tolbert said that he and Myrex plan to make the event an annual occasion and are already planning for next year.
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