Are you a part of something special?

Are you participating in Share Your Light Night luminary event this weekend (Dec. 12th, Sat., 6PM) to brighten the streets while uniting neighbors here in VB?

SYLNight goes a step further than a simple luminary display as neighbors come outside their home and create relationships between one another. The event is built upon the quintessential spirit shared by all people during the holidays: unity and peace. To participate, all you need are lunch bags, sand or birdseed, and a safe light source within each bag and a willingness to talk to your neighbors. Consider offering your visiting neighbors warm cocoa, cider, and cookies to add to the festivities. Music is also a welcoming touch. Be sure to extinguish your luminaries before returning inside your home

If you are going to be away from the house, ask your neighbor if they can set them out for you when they set out theirs. If you did not already talk to them about this event, there is no time like the "present.” Perhaps offer luminaries to them as a neighborly gift. Although inexpensive, the beauty it creates is priceless!

While you are taking in the beauty your street's ribbon of light creates, please take pictures to preserve the memory for not only yourself, but for current and future neighbors. If possible, use the fireworks mode and tripod or other stable surface when photographing at night. Please share the photos and stories about your event by emailing them to SYLNights@yahoo.com or posting them to Share Your Light Night Facebook group. They will be graciously offered online for other neighbors to appreciate and perhaps, used in future advertisements. Your photos may inspire others to join you in uniting other distant neighbors.

If your neighborhood civic league or homeowner association did not advertise this event this year, ask them if they will next year. What other groups do is light the entryway to the neighborhood, encourage neighbors to come outside at the same date and time (2nd Sat. in Dec.) to light their luminaries, and walk the neighborhoods taking in the beauty of endless ribbons of light created by the luminaries. This event builds camaraderie while neighbors share music, sing, and talk with others at celebration stations. SYLNight can also be used to raise funds for charities or community group projects. If adopted by your neighborhood organization and advertised as a neighborhood-wide event, the dates may be personalized to meet the needs of their activity calendar during the holiday season.

Remember, if it rains, the event will be rescheduled for Sunday -reference the SYLNight website at www.shareyourlightnight.blogspot.com and an updated message will be posted on phone 714-2772.

November is here... are you thinking about the holidays yet?

As the winter festivities starts rolling, don't forget about making your neighborhood a true community. Be sure to unite with your neighbors this year. If your community league, homeowner association or PTA is not offering luminaries this year, consider getting some white lunch bags, tea lights, sand or birdseed so you and your neighbors can create not only beauty, but visable unity. Call (714-2772) or email (SYLNights@yahoo.com) to register your group of neighbors as the seedlings of a United Neighbor Community. Be proud that you are making a positive difference in your neighborhood.

SYLNight 2008

December 13th offered perfect crisp winter weather. It could have been a bit warmer, but this is why we gather to sip hot cocoa, warm up by Chimaneas, and eat freshly made warm and satisfying… chili?! WOW! What a great idea!

Seen in the photo above is a festive neighbor in Homestead pulling a wagon full of chili and drinks to their block gathering. We commend their originality in making a wagon their festive vehicle decorated with Christmas lights. How fun are they! You all get the spirit award! One could easily envision SYLNight parades in your future.

In another neighborhood, the Charlestown area of Kempsville had nearly 2000 luminaries lining their streets with Santa pulling a trailer filled with talented carolers, mounted police, and Celebration Stations offering cookies and drink. Neighbors parked their vehicles at the gathering areas to play Christmas music as they socialized. Baycliff neighbors not only enjoyed illuminated streets, but also warmly received carolers offering the gift of song. We are thankful for the joyful memories made by involved neighbors.

These types of neighborhood organizations encapsulate the precise spirit SYLNight wants to encourage in every community. Everyone has a talent to offer - either the talent of a beautiful voice, the skill to build a festive atmosphere, or simply the gift of gab. All it takes to bring out these assets are community leaders who simply encourage their neighbors to become involved in the community through SYLNight – a festive holiday tradition.

SYLNight participants will be meeting in February to debrief and plan for next year. For more information, email shareyourlightnight@yahoo.com or call 714-2772.

Here's a post from last year's event...

CLICK HERE to see all the fun neighbors had in the Homestead neighborhood. What a bunch of great people.

Check back often as there will be more photographs uploaded from other neighborhoods throughout the city over these next few weeks. When this site receives them, you can see them.

The Virginian Pilot's pre-event coverage in Saturday's "Home" section - Nov. 29, 2008...

October is the time to start planning

If you are interested in organizing a SYLNight luminary event for December 12th, either by lighting up the entrance to your neighborhood and/or getting neighbors involved, call Illuminate A Cause today by dialing 757-714-2772.

We want to help unite your neighbors so they too can have that village atmosphere where neighbors help neighbors and look out for each other's children, property and well-being.

If you belong to or volunteer for a neighborhood org, non-profit, or church, meet with them to discuss the opportunity Share Your Light Night (a luminary tradition in its 3rd year) offers your group. Now is the time to organize a SYLNight event. Plant luminaries so later they will bear fruit proven to cultivate unity and strength in communities. Facebook, Google, email, or call for more info.

UPDATES

• The SYLNight event has spread to a town in New York. They too will share their light with their fellow neighbors while making a difference in the world. More details will be posted as plans progress.
• We are working on a video for the SYLNight event. If you have any photos or video from previous SYLNight events, please submit copies and, by sharing, you may help further the glow.
• We are bringing together neighborhood, religious and municipal leaders to the table to form a coalition to bring unity to our society - one street at a time.
• We are formulating a plan of how to raise money to give to those in real need.

Unity is the universal goal of civilization.

The solution to our crime and social problems is simple... WE NEED ONE ANOTHER.
We are social beings, yet if you evaluate the typical neighborhood neighbors have become isolationists once they reach their home. Now is the time to inject some warmth and camaraderie into our home lives. The solution is just beyond the front door. :o)

ARE YOU A SPIRITUAL LEADER? DO YOU ATTEND A CHURCH OR SYNAGOG?

If so, we need your help. Please share the movement of SYLNight with your parishioners.

We are working to bring neighborhoods, local government, police, and houses of worship together to further unite our neighbors. Invitations to be part of SYLNight have and will continue to go out to local churches - even to those that have a worldwide reach. Ask your spiritual leader if they would like more information about SYLNight, a means to unite all of our people, no matter their religious beliefs. We wish to talk to every Pastor, Preacher, Father and Rabbi in Hampton Roads and beyond. This event is for everyone and should be adopted by all.

Citizens who live in close-knit communities with the village feel know the meaning of working together for the betterment of the entire community. In these communities, no single family is isolated and alone if they face a problem. Soon, we hope to make it common knowledge that no person within a neighborhood will be alone. All neighbors within a UNITED NEIGHBOR COMMUNITY will have available to them not only information of where to get help, but with smaller items, they need only knock on their neighbors' door.

If you would like to have your Spiritual Leader be contacted, please email us their contact information and we can present to them the opportunity to participate in the 2009 SYLNight. If you would like to meet with us first to discuss the possibilities or get more information, call or let us have coffee to discuss the details.

DO YOU WANT TO HELP MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Luminaries (or luminarias) are paper bags with sand inside for an anchor and a light source within. They are used outdoors to decorate for the holidays. Neighbors throughout the country set out these luminaries creating ribbons of light to create beauty and celebrate the holiday season. However, St. Augustine, FL and other areas use these luminaries for many different events throughout the year.

(Note- the luminaries coordinated for our neighborhoods are the safest items available– plastic base to be filled with water or sand and bright non-flame LED tea lights).

SYLNight builds upon the spirit of all holidays in December and is scheduled for the Second Saturday in December by enlisting the volunteers of Civic Leagues, Homeowner Associations, Neighborhood Watch groups and other community based organizations to help organize these events. These organizations could use the products to raise funds for charities or and other community needs not covered by local governments.

Groups may light the entryways of neighborhoods or common areas in either apartment or condominium complexes. In tandem, they encourage neighbors to come outside during the event by having friendly neighbors or HOAs/Civic Leagues/NHWatch groups set up celebration stations, offer warm cocoa and cider, offer song and cheer, carol door-to-door, arrange horse and carriage rides in well-lit areas… while building upon the spirit all religions share – unity and love. These events have proven to unite neighborhoods nationally and locally.

If you are interested and are part of a non-profit group who wishes to adopt this event and grow it, help of others, make a difference in the lives of all people on the most basic level, contact SYLNights@yahoo.com NOW! Whether you and your organization is considering taking a small or large role in this movement to unite neighbors, build camaraderie, and establish relationships all while raising money for charities, please email us your questions and thoughts.

Bookmark the www.ShareYourLightNight.blogspot.com event website and review the archives showing photo and newspaper write-ups for even more information.

Plans are coming together...

Conversations and brainstorming have begun for another SYLNight. Some speak of having their luminary event earlier in the season, some later... The question is, what do you want?

The goal is constant... to create unity in each neighborhood through SYLNight and to do this, we need to hear from neighbors.

If you would like to offer your ideas for an ideal SYLNight, email us at shareyourlightnight@yahoo.com.

Planning meeting for SYLNight 2009

On Feb. 21st, Saturday, 1PM, community leaders that have coordinated their luminary event in years past will be meeting to discuss ideas how to build on successes to insure future displays are even more special.

If you have interest in attending, please email Brenda at shareyourlightnight@yahoo.com.