JEFF FIELDER Editor
jeff.fielder@nspiretoday.com
GERING – RaNae Garton is in her sixth year as the chairman of the Gering Merchants Association. She’s been involved with the Gering Merchants for 10 years. Garton, who grew up in DeWitt and graduated from Tri County High School in 1988, has lived in Gering for 20 years. She and her husband, Lynn Garton, have two adult children: Josh Garton, of Galena, Illinois, and Cody Garton, of Scottsbluff. In previous years, RaNae has served on the Scottsbluff/Gering United Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors Committee, including spending a year and a half serving on its Board of Directors. Garton is in her 15th year as the officer manager at Dietrich Distributing in Gering.
Q: How much have you enjoyed being part of the Gering Merchants Association?
GARTON: “I’ve really enjoyed giving back to the community. My desire to volunteer comes from being involved in the Jaycees when I was younger. I kind of grew up in the Jaycees. I joined when I was 21. I learned so much from being involved in the Jaycees, like time management and running projects. There was a period giving back. So, being involved in the Gering Merchants Association fills my desire to serve the community.”
Q: Talk about the Gering Merchants Association’s next big event, Santa’s Village.
GARTON: “Santa’s Village started in 2001, so this is its 20th anniversary. Tom Cozad was the person who started it all. He had built the Santa House for his grandkids just as a whimsical thing for them. It kind of grew from there. We’ve had different groups build and donate buildings to us. The best quote I’ve ever heard is that it takes a village to run Santa’s Village, and it truly does. The Gering Merchants Association’s group is small, so we would not be able to hold the parade or run Santa’s Village without help from different groups and people in the community.”
Q: How popular has Santa’s Village been over the years, and is it still pretty popular today?
GARTON: “It’s always been a fun family event. It’s centered around kids. It gives kids something to look forward to. The buildings are interactive. For example, the school building has a chalkboard and an old school desk that kids can sit at. The church building has pews and a pulpit. All the buildings were created on a child’s level. I believe Santa’s Village has continued to grow in popularity. Last year we weren’t able to run it like we normally do because of COVID. PPHD told us no, and we follow all guidelines when it comes to that. But we set the village buildings up to give families an opportunity to take photos in front of them. We wanted people to still kind of experience Santa’s Village. Each year it draws a couple thousand people, at least.”
Q: For people who haven’t visited Santa’s Village before, what can they expect from it this holiday season?
GARTON: “When Santa is here, kids will get to visit with him, and they’ll also get a bag of candy from Santa. We also provide hot chocolate and cookies. People are free to explore the buildings. In the Candy Cottage, kids can color pictures in there, and kids can also drop off letters to Santa in the mailbox. People can also take pictures in front of the buildings.”
Q: How important do you think it is to keep the Santa’s Village tradition going in Gering?
GARTON: “We do this for the kids. That’s our most important goal. It gives kids something whimsical and something fun to look forward to. It’s a big Christmas tradition. Even last year when we couldn’t run the village the way we normally do because of COVID, setting up the village still gave the kids a sense of Christmas. I also think the village is important for the whole community of Gering. People can come check out the village and then get lunch at one of our great restaurants in Gering, do your grocery shopping here, and visit the Legacy of the Plains Museum. We find that a lot of people who are traveling home for the holidays like to go with their entire family to Santa’s Village. It’s a great place to make fun memories.”
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add about Santa’s Village?
GARTON: “We’re looking for a place inside to store Santa’s Village. We had been using the old Lockwood building. They were generous by letting us store these buildings there the other 10 1/2 months of the year. But the Lockwood building sold, and the businesses in there now are using the entire building. This last year we had to store the buildings outside, so we’re hoping to find a new home for these buildings inside somewhere for the other 10 1/2 months of the year. If we can do that, that will help the buildings last longer. If anybody has extra room, they can give me a call [308-641-2842].”
Santa’s Village in Gering
- Santa’s Village consists of small buildings, including Santa’s House, in the parking lot of the Gering Civic Center. People may visit Santa’s Village anytime, but there are certain dates when Santa’s Village features free hot chocolate and cookies for attendees. Also on those dates, children can visit with Santa and receive a bag of candy.
Schedule
Dec. 4: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; hosted by Kiwanis & Gering Key Club (Pony Express will deliver letters to Santa)
Dec. 11: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; hosted by Gering Fire Department
Dec. 17: 5-7 p.m.; hosted by Runza
Dec. 18: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; hosted by Gering Public Schools
You can read the entire Community Spotlight story on Garton in the December 2021 issue of Nspire Today! magazine. A one-year subscription (12 issues) is only $15. You may sign up for a subscription by sending $15 to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363, or you may pay with a credit card by calling 308-220-8865.
The current issue of Nspire Today! magazine is available at locations listed below.
