Join us on December 6th as we celebrate this festive event, with holiday music beginning at 2 p.m.  Stroll through the many shops along the wharf, offering cookies, hot chocolate and cider.  Frosty the Snowman arrives at 4:30 and a holiday sing-a-long begins at 5 p.m.

The 38th official Christmas on Bowen’s Wharf is marked by the Lighting of the Christmas Tree at 6 p.m.  The tree will stand majestic as her many branches extend towards the sky, awaiting the glow of her lighting, signifying the commencement of the season.

Also not to be missed is the Holiday Harbor Illuminated Boat Parade by Sail Newport. Large and small vessels decorated with lights, will sail through the harbor for all to view.  Weather permitting, Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive by boat to great young ones and listen to their individual wishes.

The event is FREE and open to the public.  Meet us at our office at One Bowen’s Wharf, where anticipation and excitement will make you and the wharf come alive.

Our favorite time of year is fast approaching – the second week of December, which is Distribution Week for Adopt-A-Family, Inc. in Woonsocket.

For some of us, it’s an annual reunion with a couple hundred of our dearest friends; some we’ve known for 20 years and only see for one action-packed week in December.

Now in its 26th year of operation, Adopt-A-Family is a non-profit Rhode Island corporation whose mission is to provide Christmas gifts of toys, games & clothes for needy children in Woonsocket. Sandy Soares, an agent in our Cumberland office, has worked for Adopt-A-Family as Program Coordinator for many years and has been part of the organization since 1990.

Since 1992, 24,692 children have been provided for through the organization’s efforts in a city where 35% of the children live below the poverty level. In 2007 alone, they provided for 2,220 children…enough kids to fill 100 classrooms!

At the time of this writing, the organization has donors for 660 families but they are still looking for donors for an additional 350 families in need. Certainly this year has been a difficult one and many charitable organizations are seeing a big drop-off in contributions.

If you would like to help a family who might be right in your own backyard, contact Sandy Soares at 401.766.2291 ssoares@residentialproperties.com or adoptafamily@cox.net. The last date to “adopt” is December 1.

Photos by: Al Belisle

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