More than 10,000 people flocked to Main Street in Medford on Saturday, Dec. 3 to enjoy the annual Dickens Festival — and many had a wonderful time. Fortunately, the weather cooperated and, while it was a bit chilly, visitors were able to mill about, enjoying food, music, entertainment, camaraderie and a host of holiday festivities.
Every year since 2010, members of the Medford Sunrise Rotary collectively put in hundreds of hours getting ready for and then running this popular annual holiday event in downtown Medford. Many work tirelessly for months getting everything set up.
Years ago, the event was hosted and paid for by the merchants along Main Street in conjunction with the Township of Medford. In those days, there were plenty of people and financial resources that helped make the event easier to run.
Unfortunately, the Historic Medford Village Business Association disbanded and the merchants no longer participated. At the same time, the township had to tighten its budget and could no longer pay for police coverage or overhead lighting. The festival was slated to be discontinued and so our Rotary stepped in and took it over in the spirit of continuing the tradition.
Admittedly, it’s gotten away from the original “Dickens” Village conception, but sincere efforts have been made to make it a community event that is fun for all ages. (Years ago, it was easier to hire people who would dress in Dickens-era costumes and roam the Village, but that’s no longer the case.)
Nevertheless, for the most recent festival, many of us took time off from our day jobs on the Friday before the event, in order to make sure everything was in place and to decorate the area where Santa would greet children for hours on end. We also worked a good portion of Saturday both before and after the event, and then we gathered early on Sunday morning to pick up trash and tidy up. We wanted to make sure our lovely Main Street Village was put back in order.
The Medford Sunrise Rotary is a non-profit organization whose members have a sincere passion for community service. Four times a year, we prepare and serve meals to families of sick children who are staying at the Ronald McDonald House in Camden. We regularly collect and donate funds and items to be sent to our troops through Operation Yellow Ribbon.
We provide scholarship money to YMCA Camp Ockanickon, Inc. to send children to camp that otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford to go. We produce the Medford Community Calendar and mail it to more than 12,000 homes and businesses each year. We join with our fellow Rotarians everywhere to raise money for vaccines to eradicate polio throughout the world. Recently, we spent a Saturday putting together food packages for needy families in Haiti.
Our goal in hosting the Dickens Festival has been to continue a tradition that brings members of our community together during the holiday season, not to make a profit, as some have alleged. In fact, it’s very expensive and the income from various vendors, coin drops and other fundraisers barely comes close to covering the costs of entertainment, lights, police services and other expenses.
As an organization, our Rotary is seriously considering whether we will be able to continue hosting the Dickens Festival moving forward. We would love to hear feedback from the community. Please send your comments to MedfordSunriseRotary@gmail.com.
Jim Robinson, President, Medford Sunrise Rotary
Linda Mackey, Medford Dickens Festival Chair
