News

By Alex Freeman, MCC Communications Specialist

Take a picture with Santa Claus, decorate Christmas cookies, make ornaments and snowflakes and experience the joy and wonder of the Christmas season with family activities at Montcalm Community College’s Mingle with Kringle event. 

This free family event will take place on Thursday, Dec. 11, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. on MCC’s Sidney campus. No advanced registration is required. The event is a partnership with the Montcalm Heritage Village and donations to Heritage Village will be accepted during the event. 

“Some of our Heritage Village board members expressed a desire to host an event for Christmas but our buildings are not heated,” said Shannon Neumann-Kilduff, president of the Montcalm Heritage Village Committee. “We started talking about hosting it at the college; we did some brainstorming and came up with the name for the event.” 

At the same time Heritage Village was planning its Christmas event, MCC Admissions Representative Taryn Muilenburg was also looking to do something for the holiday season at MCC. 

“There was a group of us talking about Christmas and Christmas lights,” Muilenburg said. “It was one of those light bulb ideas that ‘snowballed’ into a plan. Once I learned about Shannon and Heritage Village planning their own event, I asked Shannon how she would feel about combining efforts.” 

The added support to Heritage Village was welcomed with open arms, and the event has expanded to include most of MCC’s Sidney campus. 

In the Activities Building, Santa Claus will be present for photo opportunities. There will also be a hot cocoa bar and a Christmas cookie decorating station. The Beatrice E. Doser Building will feature a room for children to write letters to Santa Claus and also decorate a mini-Christmas tree. The Kenneth J. Smith Instructional Building will be the site of a wooden ornament making station led by Greenville High School's National Honor Society, while the Stanley P. Ash Building will have Central Montcalm High School's National Honor Society helping guests cut out and color paper snowflakes. 

“The natural Christmas spirit came out in everyone,” Muilenburg said. “The idea for the event was well received, and we’re excited to have so many things for families to do.” 

There will also be a DJ playing festive Christmas music throughout the entire event. The night will culminate with the lighting of the Christmas tree outside, featuring MCC President Dr. Bradley J. Barrick, Santa Claus and MCC’s mascot, Caesar the Centurion. 

It is the hope of Neumann-Kilduff and Muilenburg that their efforts result in an event that brings the entire community together in the spirit of the Christmas season. 

“I’m hoping parents bring their kids and their friends to experience the joy and magic of the season,” Neumann-Kilduff said. 

“Christmas has a way of bringing people together on its own,” Muilenburg added. “We are happy to provide a platform for this to enhance the holiday spirit. We hope that families feel that MCC truly does put their community first and that they can enjoy a night out of the house without breaking the bank.”