CAN DO invites the public to celebrate a festive beginning to the Christmas season at the 22nd annual CAN DO Community Christmas on Wednesday, Dec. 3, from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

The event, which features music from several school groups, will be held at Christ Lutheran Church at Church and Green streets in downtown Hazleton. Admission to Community Christmas is free and cookies will be provided by the Keystone Job Corps.

“The CAN DO Community Christmas is a longstanding downtown holiday Christmas tradition and a great way for us to showcase talent from our own community. We’re sure the community will enjoy hearing the festive music these students will share,” said CAN DO President Kevin O’Donnell.

The theme of this year’s Community Christmas “Come Celebrate the Arts” is “Nutcracker Ballet.” The event will feature holiday music selections performed by the MMI Chamber Ensemble, the Hazleton Area High School Chamber Singers, the Heights-Terrace Elementary/Middle School Jazz Ensemble, the Hazleton Area High School Jazz Ensemble and the Heights-Terrace Elementary/Middle School third-grade chorus. Each student who performs will receive a T-shirt designed by CAN DO’s Student Action Committee, which coordinates the event each year.

The Student Action Committee is made up of local high school students who serve on the CAN DO Board of Directors. Co-chairs for this year’s Community Christmas are Samantha Hartz of Weatherly Area High School and Haylee Kirschner of MMI Preparatory School. Charles Burkhardt and Nancy Stasko serve as advisers to the Student Action Committee. This year’s Student Action Committee members are Luke Olander, Gabrielle Ator, Morgan O’Hara, Monica Abdelmalek and Natalie Alcantara, Hazleton Area High School; Rebecca Wolfe and Anthony Kimsal, Immanuel Christian School; Hunter Berger and Dominic Mussoline, Marian High School; Haylee Kirschner and Brendan Drusda, MMI Preparatory School; and Samantha Hartz and Trent Dempsey, Weatherly Area High School.           

At Community Christmas, children will also be able to meet with Santa Claus and write letters to Santa with the help of the CAN DO students. Parents are encouraged to bring their cameras, as Santa will be available for photos with the children.

For more information on CAN DO Community Christmas, call Nancy Stasko at 570- 455-1508.