The carolers stop at a house on Sixth Street, where the residents brought out snacks for the singers and donations of peanut butter for a local food pantry.
On a clear, cold, star-blessed Saturday night, about 30 Summit neighbors went caroling for a cause.
After meeting at event partner Miriam Hospital for refreshments at 5 p.m., Dec. 13, and singing some nonsectarian holiday tunes including the Dreidel Song, the group went a-wassailing among the streets so clean.
Led in traditional carols, and a few more-modern selections, by voice and performance coach Ellen Santaniello, the singers wound their way along Sixth, Bayard, Fifth, Summit and Fourth, finishing just short of Hope Street as a star of wonder, star of night example of the Geminid meteor shower silently streaked overhead.
Along the way, doorbells of illuminated houses were rung by the teenagers among the carolers, and residents, alerted by leaflets the previous weekend, came out to listen and donate cash plus peanut butter to benefit the St. Raymond’s church food pantry. The collected jars were piled in the back of an appropriately decorated accompanying vehicle provided by another event partner, Zipcar.
As the temperature plunged, some of the youngest carolers had to drop out and head home, but the rest kept making spirits bright until about 6:45 when they finished walking, and singing, in a winter wonderland.
The carolers weren’t able to build a snowman in a meadow, but they did collect $120 plus about 140 jars of peanut butter, much of which was donated by employees of the hospital.
The next week, representatives of organizers Summit Neighborhood Association and Miriam, bearing the gifts, travelled not far to the food pantry, where they were gratefully received in the true spirit of the season.
Zipcar, in partnership with SNA, provided a decorated vehicle to transport the growing weight of jars and jars of peanut butter.
The donated peanut butter sits on the receiving platform at St. Raymond's food pantry before being taken inside to help nourish needy neighbors.
