Celebrate the holidays and help feed the hungry by singing at the 34th Annual Christmas Carol Sing sponsored by the Galloway Family of Dealerships and Susan Bennett Marketing & Media, L.C.
The Christmas Carol Sing will be Saturday, Dec. 6, at First Presbyterian Church, 2438 Second St. in downtown Fort Myers, between Lee Street and Royal Palm Avenue.
“The Carol Sing has traditionally been on the first Tuesday of December, but we thought we would try it on a Saturday this year, in hopes that more families will attend,” said the Rev. Dr. Paul deJong, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Fort Myers.
Admission is free, although organizers request voluntary donations of at least two cans of nonperishable food for The Soup Kitchen, operated by Community Cooperative, and a voluntary cash donation, if possible.
Because of the overwhelming popularity of the event, two sing-alongs are planned at 1 and 4 p.m. The doors will open 30 minutes prior to show time.
Community Cooperative, an innovative nonprofit organization made up of social service entrepreneurs dedicated to ending hunger and homelessness in Southwest Florida, continues to make a transformative impact through its wide range of programs and community partnerships.
In 2024 alone, Community Cooperative assisted more than 46,000 unduplicated individuals through its programs, providing over 2.1 million pounds of food to neighbors in need. Dedicated volunteers delivered more than 117,000 freshly prepared meals to homebound seniors through the Meals on Wheels of SWFL program, and over 2,000 volunteers contributed 46,000 hours of service to help fulfill the organization’s mission.
The need remains great—in Lee County alone, one in six residents face food insecurity. Through initiatives like Sam’s Community Café & Kitchen, Mobile Food Pantries, Meals on Wheels of SWFL, Mobile Hot Food and Social & Education Resource Centers, Community Cooperative works every day to ensure families and individuals have access to nutritious meals, stability, and hope.
Cash donations are especially needed because Community Cooperative can buy five times as much food for the same amount of money that residents spend at local grocery stores.
The Christmas Carol Sing is a festival of holiday music and family fun. This year’s 75-minute performance will include the Carol Sing Community Choir, soloists and other special guests singing favorite holiday carols with audience sing-alongs.
There is a strong rumor that Santa Claus will be making a surprise visit for the “child in each of us.”
In addition to the Christmas Carol Sing, First Presbyterian Church also annually presents Mrs. Edison’s Hymn Sing in February. Both events benefit Community Cooperative.
For more information, call First Presbyterian Church at (239) 334-2261 or visit http://www.fpcfortmyers.org.
About First Presbyterian Church Of Fort Myers
First Presbyterian Church of Fort Myers, located at 2438 Second St. in downtown Fort Myers, is a community of faith, celebrating a loving God. First Presbyterian Church was founded in 1901 and continues to be an integral part of Lee County by presenting some of the area’s most well-attended events, such as “Mrs. Edison’s Hymn Sing” in February as part of the Edison Festival of Light and the “Christmas Carol Sing” in December. Both events benefit Community Cooperative, which was founded by First Presbyterian Church, along with other local churches, in 1984. Services are offered Sundays at 11 a.m. with Sunday Adult Education from 9:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. A nursery is available from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Hearing assistive equipment also is available.
