INTRO:

The holiday season is in full swing and what better way to celebrate than lighting up the tree and welcoming Santa in downtown Kent.

Hundreds of people gathered on Saturday night to kick off the start of the joyful season.

Elizabeth D’Aurora has the story.

PKG: 1:40

CG: Lori Wemhoff/Executive Director of Kent Area Chamber of Commerce

CG: Elizabeth D’Aurora/TV2 Reporter

CG: Jerry Fiala/City of Kent Mayor

CG: James Samels/ Kent City Fire Department Paramedic

TAKE PKG:

Snow began falling just in time for Santa’s arrival to the annual celebration of Festival of Lights Saturday night at the Home Savings Plaza in downtown Kent.

TAKE SOT:

SANTA CLAUS COMES TO TOWN VIA TRAIN – WHICH OF COURSE IN KENT THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY WAY HE SHOULD SHOW UP.

Lori Wemhoff executive director of the Kent area chamber of commerce, who organized the event, said this marks the start of the holiday season.

Families had the chance to enjoy each others company, listen to holiday music sung by the Theodore Roosevelt Aces Chorus, tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas and spend time in an area that is sometimes forgotten about.

TAKE SOT:

IT’S REALLY A REVITALIZATION OF DOWNTOWN AND BRINGING FAMILIES DOWN HERE.

STANDUP:

NOT ONLY IS EVERYONE CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS, BUT MAYOR JERRY FIALA ALSO HOPES THIS WILL BRING TOGETHER THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY IN KENT OHIO.

TAKE SOT:

I WANT THE COMMUNITY TO GET OUT OF THIS FRIENDSHIP, NEIGHBORSHIP. I WANT PEOPLE TO TALK TO EACH OTHER. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHAT A WONDERFUL TOWN WE HAVE TO COME DOWNTOWN TO ALL THE TIME.

James Samels, a Kent Fire Department paramedic, was on dad duty Saturday night with his youngest daughter Clara spending time with the community.

TAKE SOT: (SAMELS)

A SENSE OF COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO COME OUT WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS LIKE THIS, HELP EACH OTHER OUT WHEN PEOPLE ARE IN NEED AND AT THE SAME TIME CELEBRATE GOOD THINGS.

The holiday season isn’t just a celebration of Christmas, but rather a celebration of everyone around you.

TAKE SOT:

THE BIGGEST THING IS, IT’S THE HOLIDAY SEASON, AND HOWEVER YOU BELIEVE IN THE HOLIDAYS, LET IT BE WITH YOU. LET IT SHARE TO ONE ANOTHER AND THAT’S WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT.

For TV2 news, I’m Elizabeth D’Aurora.

TAG:

Samels said The Kent City Fire Department has begun their annual collection with Kent Social Services to help make the holidays brighter for the less fortunate.

Critique:

-dark because it was night and I know that if I was at a news station I would have a simple light attached to my camera which would have made the video a lot better.

-I like all of my SOTs: incorporated 3 sources

-feature piece but tied in RPA because of the event bringing people to downtown to “revitalize” the area

-good nat sound

-good broll

-interviews framed well

-it was good that I shot my standup at the event