MACON, Ga. — A Macon private school started a new Christmas tradition this year with an event that's open to the public.
Our 13WMAZ School of the Week is First Presbyterian Day School.
FPD staff are putting the finishing touches on their first campus Christmas tree before they light it on Sunday.
Head of School John Patterson made sure students from different grade levels were involved.
"He's asked the junior class to help serve and we're setting up little booths of games for the kids of the FPD families to come and play," said junior Morgan Gleaton.
"At Christmas time, we love giving presents and we know some people who don't get presents. We feel really bad for them so we decided we want to do a donation," said fourth grader Sterling Cawley.
"Some of the elementary students are going to be performing in the band and in the chorus, and then we've also had a family come forward and help us organize a toy drive with the Macon Rescue Mission, so it's been really exciting to see how many people have come together," said school spokeswoman Beth Burnsed.
Burnsed says a couple businesses donated and planted a 20-foot Christmas tree they'll use year after year.
"We know this year has been full of changes and different ways of gathering together, but we are so excited to be able to have this event. It's going to be outside. It's going to open, so people can spread out and social distance," Burnsed said.
The idea came from former student Catherine Smith who graduated in the class of 2018 and interns with the schools' marketing department.
"It's crazy that this has come to life because last year it started off as just a little idea that got passed along, so it's been really cool to see everything come together," Smith said.
"I'm very excited to see it continue to go on in the future and just kind of grow and bring everyone together," Gleaton said.
The event is open to the public and starts at 5 p.m. on Sunday. The actual lighting will happen at 6 p.m.
If you'd like to donate new or gently used toys, the Cawley family will have a truck set up there where you can drop it off. Those donations will go to the Macon Rescue Mission.
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