Christmas in Elkton
A “magical” holiday celebration
ONE CHRISTMAS a few years ago, Carolyn Wells, a retired teacher who grew up in Elkton, recalls that a couple from California, who happened to be in town during Elkton’s tree lighting ceremony and parade, said it reminded them of a scene from one of television’s popular Hallmark Christmas movies.
“It’s just magical,” says Emily Buis, the family resource center coordinator for Todd County Schools and a consumer-member of Pennyrile Electric Cooperative. “It doesn’t matter if you’re from here or not, the atmosphere they’ve created is all about welcoming. This community really does love on each other.”
The Todd County seat of about 2,200 and surrounding communities get into the Christmas spirit long before the tree lighting on the first Saturday after Thanksgiving.
Toy and clothing drives begin months before Santa arrives—with treats, and often with a couple of live reindeer—at the historic courthouse that’s the centerpiece of Elkton’s town square. A late afternoon parade is followed by the evening lighting of a giant Christmas tree, with carolers, carriage rides, marshmallow roasts and hot chocolate.
Laura Brock, a former city employee who once helped organize the event, recalls a father with young children stopping to say thank you, explaining that it had been a tough year for his family. With little money for gifts, he said, the celebration would be the highlight of his children’s Christmas. However, the children may have gotten presents that Christmas through one of several community supported programs such as the Angel Tree—which last year provided gifts for more than 300 Todd County schoolchildren and many of their siblings.
Then there is “the Grinch,” portrayed by Terry Greene, another consumer-member of Pennyrile Electric and the owner, along with his wife, Doris, of an Elkton appliance sales and repair business called That Guy Who Fixes Stuff. Greene dresses in a Grinch costume for the tree lighting and poses as the ill-tempered Dr. Seuss storybook character who tried to steal Christmas.
As the Grinch, he often hands out gifts from a bag filled with such items as empty cans, sticks and other gag gifts—but follows them up with gifts of cash.
His daughter and business partner, Tara Greene-Oar, says her father may masquerade as the Grinch, but when it comes to Christmas, he’s all heart. A couple of Christmases ago he gave away two cars that he and some of his friends had reconditioned, and he and Tara often ride with the local police at Christmas, stopping random motorists to wish them merry Christmas and give them $50 or $100. Tara has a Facebook scavenger hunt that sends participants in search of hidden Christmas ribbons and other items that she redeems for gifts. Last Christmas she and her family gave away a new washer-dryer set and a French door refrigerator.
“Of course I couldn’t do any of this without God,” Terry Greene says. “I’ve never lost a penny doing the right thing.”
