Hometown Hero hopes to spark smiles with Mill Creek Park Christmas display

Our Hometown Hero this week is all about making you smile.

Sharmon Lesnak has been a volunteer for Mill Creek MetroParks for six years.

This year, she’s turned the Davis Center into a “Magical Woods” as part of its winter celebration.

Lesnak and her volunteers began planning back in July and were able to put the entire display together in just three days, right before Thanksgiving.

“To have something for the adults and the kids. We need to smile. So if I get people to smile, that makes me feel good,” Lesnak said.

Lesnak doesn’t work alone though — she has her volunteers to help out.

“It takes a lot of staff and a lot of volunteers to do what you see here. So every little bit of help does make a difference,” said Jaime Yohman, community engagement director for Mill Creek MetroParks.

Lesnak, now retired, has a 40 year background in retail displays. She’s worked for places like Strouss, Kaufmann’s and Macy’s. Plus, she’s very inventive.

“Even some of the roses that were from out of the rose garden were used, the pine cones. I have always enjoyed the fact of being creative and this has given me another outlet since I’ve retired to be able to still do it,” Lesnak said.

While you’re at the Davis Center, don’t forget to stop downstairs to see dozens of more trees, put together by different organizations like the Leonard Kirtz School, Second Harvest Food Bank and Goodwill Industries.

It’s volunteers like Lesnak who make Christmas magic possible.

Full article at wytv.com