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A Gift of Christmas for Ottawa
Ottawafocus.com Special Contributor, Katharine of Girl About O Town
No doubt, you have already been invited to a whole host different holiday celebrations over the next few weeks. There will be the open houses, the office parties and the family gatherings, each with their own set of protocols and accompanying dress codes.

I am fortunate to have friends that do things a bit differently. Each year, they invite guests to drop over for refreshments just before heading out to see The Gift of Christmas - The Singing Christmas Tree, a first class musical production put on each December by the Bethel Pentecostal Church in Nepean. While not a part of the Bethel Church, these friends are very active members of the Ottawa community, and this is one big community event!

Now in its 10th year, The Singing Christmas Tree is a free 2-hour variety show extravaganza featuring solo vocalists, ensembles and a 65 person choir. This seasonal spectacle successfully combines all the razzle and dazzle of a professional song and dance production with the timeless appeal of a church pageant, as children participate alongside some very talented adults. The show does take place in a church, so you can expect a little bit of church in the show, and it is downright fun for all ages.

Most importantly though, The Gift of Christmas is an actual gift to the Ottawa community. Since its inception, more than 45, 000 people have seen the production, tons of food has been donated to local food banks, and almost $100, 000 have been provided to local charities like The CHEO Foundation and Rogers House. This year, audience donations will be in support of Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Support, an organization dedicated to helping young cancer patients and their families.

And, if the generosity, goodwill and all around good fun isn't enough to get you going, a long lost family member is reunited with loved ones at each performance. Having witnessed these moments before, they are enough to grow anyone's heart three sizes!

See for yourself. Check out The Gift of Christmas - The Singing Christmas Tree at the Bethel Pentecostal Church, 500 Viewmount Dr., Nepean.

Directions here.

This year's performances began December 5, and run through December 14.
Dec. 12 - 7:00 PM
Dec. 13 - 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
Dec. 14 - 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM

Images from The Gift of Christmas 2008 Photo Album.

Want to read more from Katharine?
Check out Girl About O Town and bookmark the Girl About O Town page right here to catch Katharine's upcoming exclusive posts for Ottawafocus.com!