MEL TOADVINE The large Christmas tree on the lawn of Lehigh Regional Medical Center.

Lehigh Acres is ready for the Christmas holidays and several ceremonies, including the arrival of Santa Claus and the lighting of the giant Christmas tree on the front lawn of Lehigh Regional Medical Center have occurred.

For several years now, it has been the largest event of the holiday season in Lehigh to light up a large Christmas tree. And this year was no exception.

High in the air, the tree – supported by bright white lights – can be seen from Lee Blvd. Some 24 palm trees, all lit with around their trunks line the entrance to the hospital.

The tree lighting ceremony at LRMC brought a crowed of around 300 people who enjoyed performances by the children from Lehigh Child Center, Footnotes Dance Studio, the Lehigh Children’s Choir, the Boys & Girls Club, and Mirror lakes Elementary School.

Santa arrived at 5 p.m. on Dec. 6 on a fire truck from the Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue and throngs of children ran to meet him as he stepped off the fire engine.

DIANN CIMRING Children performed to a crowd of about 300.

Inside the hospital, some 122 children had their photos taken with Santa courtesy of Lehigh Regional Medical Center which provided parents with the photographs.

There was free hot chocolate, eggnog, and cookies provided too, and Santa lit the giant tree at around 7 p.m., said Diann Cimring, marketing director at LRMC.

The Lehigh Town Center also had a party on its parking lot and a tree was lit there, too.

Other shopping centers decorated their light poles and shoppers filled the retail outlets in Lehigh.

MEL TOADVINE Tugging at Santa’s beard is Mizzorey Mondragon, 4, at a rally at the First Congregational Church on Leeland Heights Boulevard. The event was held to raise money for a dog rescue unit in the area.

DIANN CIMRING Child care center children perform at Lehigh Regional Medical Center’s recent Christmas program.