2 tables left for Christmas lights fundraiser

Susan Staron Sanders, Class of 1971, has two tables left to rent for the Huge Multi-Family Yard Sale 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 4 at the Town Hall. $10 each.

It’s a fundraiser to buy more Christmas street lights for Monongah to go with the seven that White Hall donated last year. An earlier fundraiser paid for material to erect the former White Hall lights on the posts.

Susan, an administrative assistant at Personnel, and husband Ron Sanders live on Thomas Street, as I did till the Olesky family bought and moved across the street to the Church Street house at the U.S. 19 (Camden Avenue) intersection.

Valerie Vandetta Aldridge, Class of 1973; Teena Field Ailstock, 1984 North Marion grad; and Mareca Savonarola have been Susan’s lieutenants in this drive to light up Monongah brighter and brighter for the holidays.

The Fairmont Times story on the fundraiser to add Christmas lights to Monongah’s streets:

Monongah resident continues fight for Christmas lights

By Kelsie VanderWijst Times West Virginian

MONONGAH — A Monongah resident continues her efforts to light up the town.

Susan Sanders, a longtime resident of Monongah, said she has wanted Christmas lights for the town for a long time.

“I started it last year, in 2015, around July,” she said. “I have lived in Monongah most of my life, and I always wanted Christmas lights here in the town.”

She said Monongah seems to be the only town that doesn’t have lights each year.

Despite being told the town couldn’t afford it, she decided to host fundraisers to raise the money.

“I got a hold of the Town of White Hall, and they gave me some excellent tips on how to proceed and what to do,” Sanders said. “They even donated seven Christmas lights to us for the town to get started.”

Sanders said there are a lot of senior citizens in the town who love having the lights.

“I am a people-person, and I love to make people happy,” she said.

Since the start of the project, Sanders has formed a committee of five women.

“I don’t know what I would do without my girls,” Sanders said.

Committee member Mareca Savonarola said she wants to see the lights because bigger towns have them, so why can’t a smaller town have them, too?

“We have a sweet little town here, and I think it would make it nice for when other people came through,” she said. “I think it makes it really nice for the people around here, too. I have only lived in Monongah six years, and I think it is a sweet little town. So if we can help it a little bit, why not?”

Sanders said they have been pretty successful so far.

“We went around to maybe 15-20 companies asking for donations, and everybody has been just fabulous,” she said. “Almost every one of them gave us something.”

Despite the success so far, they need more to reach their goal.

“My goal is to (have lights for) this whole town,” Sanders said. “One thing is the lights are very expensive. They start probably at $350.”

She has been working with Mosca Design to work on some packages.

Last year, the lights were displayed when people came into Monongah at the post office and ran along U.S. 19 past the Circle K.

“There are a lot of side streets, and I would like to do over by the fire department and up the hill going out of Monongah,” Sanders said. “There are a lot of nice areas in Monongah that would love to have lights. That is my goal.”

Instead of donating, people can purchase a light to donate.

“Maybe they have lost a mom, a dad, a child, (are) newlyweds or (have) a new baby, and what the Town of Monongah will do is donate the banner with the name to that person,” Sanders said.

The next fundraiser will take place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 4 at the Monongah Town Hall, located at 434 Bridge St. Residents are encouraged to stop by the multi-family yard sale, bake sale and craft sale.

For donations, people can make a check to the Town of Monongah with Christmas lights in the memo, Sanders said.

“They then fax me a list of everyone who has donated,” she said. “Last year, I probably raised close to $2,000, and every person that made a donation, I hand-wrote a thank you to each and every one of them. I will still continue to do that.”

Sanders hopes people will help make the town shine.