Promise of Christmas fills Medina's square with holiday cheer

MEDINA — As snow covered the square, hundreds of people gathered to celebrate a Medina Christmas with North Carolina residents affected by Hurricane Helene a few months ago. When Mark Klaus of Castle Noel and his wife saw the destruction in North Carolina, the two decided they wanted to do something for the residents affected by Hurricane Helene. Klaus thought about how all the people in devastated areas of the state wouldn't have a place to have what's considered a normal Christmas. It was then that the Klauses decided to bring a couple of hundred people up from North Carolina, all affected by Hurricane Helene, and give them a weekend of Christmas, calling it the Promise of Christmas. In less than three months, Castle Noel staff, Greater Medina Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Medina, the Medina County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Medina Mayor Dennis Hanwell, and city administrators put together a weekendlong plan for the Promise of Christmas. On Saturday, a scaled-down version of the Candlelight Walk took over Medina's square as luminarias lined the sidewalks, Christmas music played, the Brighter Days Ahead Parade circled the square and a full fireworks show. As Castle Noel's truck drove through the parade, people cheered from the sidewalks, thanking them for what they did with the Promise of Christmas. Hanwell said on Saturday that they raised more than $100,000 to bring the North Carolina families up to Medina. "We are so thankful that the folks could come up from North Carolina — see our community, for one, (and) experience Christmas that they couldn't have down there because of the devastation," Hanwell said. Marissa Dulaney and her family were among the 250 North Carolina residents who traveled up to Medina. They are from Old Fort, North Carolina, which is about a half hour from Asheville. Before the parade, 7-year-old Caydance Effler and 8-year-old Alyssa Effer played in the snow, making snow angels and eating the fresh snow. Dulaney said they hadn't seen this much snow in North Carolina for more than five years, noting how neither girls remembered the last time. Dulaney said her family has had a great time visiting Medina, stating how nice and welcoming everyone has been toward them. On Saturday, they spent the day in Medina, visiting the different shops in the historic district. "It was really neat that (Klaus) brought all the people here and then the town pitched in to bring North Carolina up here," she said. "I was like, 'why would they even think about North Carolina?'" Contact reporter Sara Crawford at (330) 721-4063 or scrawford@medina-gazette.com.