PUNTA GORDA — Hearing Punta Gorda canceled its Christmas tree lighting ceremony didn’t sit well with Garrett Kizer.
So he did something about it.
“I didn’t like that the city was going to cancel something six weeks ahead of time without asking the community for help,” Kizer said. “I knew there was something we could do as volunteers to help the city.”
Fearing the new 35-foot artificial tree with thousands of lights and wreaths and other decorations was damaged in Hurricane Milton, the city administration and the Light Up The Night planning committee recently announced online the annual tree lighting ceremony was nixed.
Kizer called Punta Gorda City Council member Bill Dryburgh and explained he could help.
Dryburgh said he would pitch in and gathered other volunteers. They needed a place to pull each of the tree’s branches out, fluff the branches, test the lights and clean them and dry out.
Punta Gorda Airport CEO James Parish offered a hangar for the city to use for the process.