BUS TRIP: Be sure to turn on your outside Christmas lights
tomorrow night. Senior citizens will be touring the town to get a
look at the holiday displays.

The bus trip is sponsored each year by the Era’s Less Fortunate
Fund, an annual program which attempts to make sure every child and
needy senior citizen has at least one gift under the tree Christmas
morning.

The gift program, meanwhile, is also under way and today is the
absolute deadline for dropping off gifts at the ELF headquarters,
the former E-Z TV and Appliance building at 911 E. Main St.
Volunteers will be on hand to receive your gifts from 9
a.m.-noon.

But back to the bus trip … The trip for senior citizens was
added to program more than 10 years ago,  and has become a
highlight of the holiday season for this special group of
residents.

Seniors from the nursing homes, residences, and general public
tour the town on buses  provided by the Bradford Area School
District and the Area Transportation Authority. So far, about 200
seniors have signed up for the tour.

A highlight of the tour this year will be the Santa Claus
display at the Beacon Light headquarters, 800 E. Main St. In
previous years, of course, some of this display was on the lawn of
Dick Williams and his family on Nelson Avenue. If you can believe
it, Beacon Light  has actually expanded his display!

When the tour is completed, a giant Christmas party will be held
at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Don Graybill will
entertain on the keyboard, and there will be refreshments and
cookies prepared by FCI McKean’s culinary students.

For some of the seniors, this is a once-a-year opportunity to
meet old friends who live in another residence across town.

Many, many volunteers help make this bus trip such a fantastic
event. We thank them for their valuable assistance to help the
seniors in our community.