February News from the Spirit

Celebrating Springfield's Biggest, Best and Brightest!

Thank you to all who made the Bright Nights at Forest Park 2020 season such a great success and safe for all. The attendance was overwhelming.

While the Springfield Park Department dismantles the displays, we are sending thank you’s, preparing a media analysis, evaluating visitor data, and putting our supplies in storage.

We are also looking ahead. 2021 has such great potential. We want to take advantage of every opportunity to bring the community together in celebration.

-- Judy Matt

President

Looking Ahead

Plans are underway for the Spirit of Springfield’s 31^st season. It might look a little different than the typical year, but it promises to be more festive than 2020.

The Spirit of Springfield team is hard at work to provide creative ways to have some fun, come together as a community, and celebrate our city’s pride. The date for the Spirit of Springfield Golf Classic has already been confirmed for June 4^th at Franconia Golf Course, and the City of Bright Nights Ball is set for Saturday, November 13^th at MGM Springfield.

That is just the beginning. Additional event dates will be announced soon!

Bright Nights Wrap Up

Bright Nights at Forest Park was one of the safest places to celebrate the holidays with families staying in their own vehicles. The experience was touchless with online and advance ticket purchases. The response was tremendous. Big Y World Class Market sold a record-breaking number of tickets, more than double what they typically sell.

Since January 6^th, the Springfield Park Department has been hard at work rolling up 6 miles of roadway lighting and dismantling the displays. They are carefully and neatly putting them on the shelves. The storage facility is quickly filling up.

Thank you to everyone who made it a wonderful and successful season!

Thank You Sponsors

Corporate support for the Spirit of Springfield during 2020 has been tremendous. The donors recognized our need and gave generously. They also knew Bright Nights at Forest Park would be a holiday hotspot for fun, and it would be a safe activity for families.

In addition to the ongoing support the Spirit of Springfield receives from some of Springfield’s largest businesses, MassMutual, Baystate Health, Health New England, and Big Y World Class Markets, donations were also made by The Colvest Group, 90 Meat Outlet and the NiSource Charitable Foundation.

The Spirit of Springfield Golf Classic had many tee sponsors. Community Spirit Sponsors gave generously. They were American Medical Response, Gleason Johndrow Landscaping, MassLive, Sheraton Springfield, Springfield Business Improvement District, The Republican, Western Mass Economic Development Council, and Western Mass News. Bulkley Richardson and Gelinas, LLP showed their commitment to the Spirit of Springfield by sponsoring the Mayor’s Cup putting contest.

After being absent for a few years, Bright Nights welcomed back Smith & Wesson and Mercy Medical Center. New supporters included the American Eagle Financial Credit Union, American Medical Response, and C & S Wholesale Grocers. The traditional sponsors were even more generous in 2020. AAA Pioneer Valley, Charlie Arment Trucking, Comcast Communications, Eversource Energy, Freedom Credit Union, Gleason Johndrow Landscaping, MGM Springfield, Monarch Enterprises, PeoplesBank, Siemens, and the Springfield Thunderbirds, were among them. Others, such as the Balise Auto Group, iHeart Media, MassLive, MP PC, The Republican and WWLP-TV22, provided their outstanding services.

The Spirit of Springfield is grateful for the generosity of Springfield’s corporate community.

Bright Nights Season Passes

Bright Nights 2021 Season Passes are now available! The current price is just $40 and includes limitless admission for a vehicle (non-commercial) to Bright Nights at Forest Park during the 2021 season and a coupon book filled with savings.

During the 2020 season, one person used their Bright Nights Season Pass to experience the lights 25 times. Another person made 16 trips through the park. Some used it less, but all took full advantage of the pass and the coupons.

The Bright Nights 2021 Season Pass is available online at brightnights.org.

Bernie Sightings

Vermont State Senator Bernie Sanders has been spotted just about everywhere. This included greeting visitors at Bright Nights at Forest Park with Santa and Boomer from the Springfield Thunderbirds.

He was even seen sitting at the World’s Largest Pancake Breakfast and on stage at the City of Bright Nights Ball with Congressman Richard Neal and Roger Crandall, MassMutual’s Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.

In this Issue

• Looking Ahead

• Bright Nights Wrap Up

• Thank You Sponsors

• Bright Nights Season Passes

•Bernie Sightings

• Guest Column

Letter to the Editor

from Judy Matt

• Spirit of Springfield Golf Classic Registration

Guest Column

Letter to the Editor from

Judy Matt, President, Spirit of Springfield

Bright Nights at Forest Park was a shining beacon of hope during a very dark year. It was a safe way for thousands of families to celebrate and enjoy the holidays. If even for just a

little while, visitors could escape their daily frustrations while taking the magical journey

through the magnificent displays. Faces were lit up with joy and excitement.

The Spirit of Springfield is grateful to so many for making Bright Nights at Forest Park’s 26th season come to light. It started at the top with Mayor Domenic J. Sarno. He believed the event would be safe and made the decision to allow it to happen. Helen Caulton-

Harris, Health and Human Services Commissioner, knew the importance it played in good mental health. Patrick Sullivan, Executive Director for the Department of Parks, Buildings & Recreation Management, gathered his team to install the displays and get them running flawlessly, which they did despite the extreme circumstances under which they were

working. Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood and her officers dealt with

the abundance of traffic and closing the line to meet the state’s curfew, which was challenging.

We are thankful for Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito’s decision to extend the hours, the

patience of the Forest Park neighbors, the Department of Public Works for keeping our

streets safe for travel, the team that welcomed visitors, the generous support of the business community, our media partners, and the unwavering support of the nine dedicated volunteers who serve on the Spirit of Springfield Board.

We look forward to the 27th season of Bright Nights at Forest Park and the day when we

can share pancakes on Main Street, launch fireworks from the Memorial Bridge, see the Cat in the Hat float down Main Street, fill Springfield Symphony Hall with holiday music and

so much more.

Published in The Sunday Republican on January 24, 2021.