Beaufort County celebrates 4th annual Christmas tree lighting with local choirs, Emerging Leaders and Santa

Beaufort County officials joined students, community volunteers and families for the county's fourth annual Christmas tree lighting, a televised celebration of music, local programs and community engagement.

"This is our 4th year, and it gets bigger and bigger," said Beaufort County Council Chair Alice Howard, who thanked the Emerging Leaders volunteers, grounds maintenance and public works staff before the tree was lit.

County Administrator Michael Moore said the event helps county staff connect with residents. "I think it's important that we show that we're part of the community," he said, adding that the county recently hired a new deputy county administrator, Nicole Wood, who is joining the team from Greenville.

The ceremony featured performances from local school choirs: Katie Goldowns opened with holiday carols, the Robert Smalls chorus sang festive songs including "Feliz Navidad," and students from Beaufort and Coosaw elementary schools performed under the direction of music teachers. Jacob O'Brien, music teacher at Coosaw Elementary School, said the chorus rehearses weekly and cited an upcoming third-grade concert scheduled for next Thursday at 6:00 p.m.

Sierra Hall, the county recruiter and the ceremony's host on BCTV, used the broadcast to highlight county job and internship listings and to invite attendees to department tables and a stocking competition. "Anytime that I can share employment opportunities with the community, I will do that," Hall said, directing viewers to the county job page on the county website.

Emerging Leaders members Simi Hardy, Bruce McDonald and Kelsey Price led the public countdown to the tree lighting. After the lights came on, the crowd cheered and participants exchanged holiday greetings. Mikayla Bivens, recruiter with the Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, said the event is an opportunity to introduce the sheriff's office to residents and meet the people they serve.

Sunny, chair of this year's tree-lighting committee and a facilities management staff member, described roughly a year of planning and regular meetings with departments and vendors. "It's been bimonthly meetings for about an hour or two and extensive planning with different departments and outside vendors and schools," Sunny said, noting that the Emerging Leaders program engages new hires in leadership and networking activities.

The televised portion closed with a reminder to stay for crafts, food trucks and a photo booth, and a special guest from the North Pole who wished Beaufort County residents a merry Christmas before departing. Organizers encouraged viewers to check the county's online resources for more information about upcoming council meetings and county programs.

Next steps: the county continues its post-ceremony festivities on-site; no formal government actions were taken during the event.