Jingle Bell Run Canceled, Sights And Sounds Exploring Options
Staff Reports
The Sights & Sounds of Christmas Foundation announced Tuesday its annual Santa’s Jingle Bell Run 5K and Kids K has been canceled for 2020.
According to a release from the foundation, the Board of Directors decided to cancel the event, which was scheduled for December 12, 2020, as part of their “commitment to ensuring the safety of the runners, volunteers, and sponsors.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many annual events in San Marcos have had to undergo changes or cancellations for the sake of public health.
The Foundation said anyone registered for the 2020 event already will receive a direct update on the cancelation of the event and have their registration moved to the 2021 event.
“We are currently working with City leaders and our other partners to determine the format of the 2020 Sights & Sounds of Christmas,” said David Case, first-year president. “Our goal remains to keep the 34 years of Christmas tradition alive during these tumultuous times; as such, we are exploring creative ways to provide something special for the children in our community.”
The foundation said they understand the gravity of the situation for all the nonprofit organizations, who rely on the Sights & Sounds of Christmas Festival to support their programs.
“The Foundation will continue to work hard to bring our region the unique Christmas events we all love,” it said in a press release. ‘While our December 2020 event may not take place in the way that it was intended, we continue to strive toward our purpose – of bringing Christmas spirit to Central Texas.”
Residents can find up-to-date information regarding the Sights & Sounds of Christmas at www.sights-n-sounds.org.
For general questions, contact info@sights-n-sounds.org.
REPLY if you wan to set up an alternate program.
These are outdoor activities. Let people decide for themselves if they want to participate. I tend to believe most businesses are looking for any way possible to recover from these nonsense. A majority of kids lost their birthday. Families have lost every major holiday this year.
San Marcos is a NO FUN ZONE. Its up to San Marcos residents change that.
Published recent count: 7616 person tested positive* for COVID (probably less due to inaccurate tests/ false positives) in Hays County. ALSO, Hays County has has less than 100 deaths so far (92 published recently) that they are stating are due to COVID (less probably actually are again based on actual tests and such).
Hays County has roughly 240,000 persons* (239,339 on recent 2020 estimations), yes others come from other counties to events in Hays county/ San Marcos. Based on these statistics 3% of Hays county has tested positive* and less than a .01% has died* from released COVID numbers.
No REAL need to cancel these yearly anticipated traditions given that the County has ordered all social places to require mandatory face masks and social distancing not that either are solid in ceasing the spread. There is NO difference in these “gatherings” and voting lines or Walmart “entrance and exits” and check out kiosks (have you seen them sanitize after each person at self checkouts – me neither).
Limiting the number of persons per day and extending the number of days for each event might be possible solutions, in particular – Sighs and Sounds. The residents would probably love that anyways. Too many “happy” events have been cancelled this year. It is not necessary, now, the general public is aware of actions that lead to “spiking” numbers.
Let’s continue the traditions that make us San Marcos, that make us Hays County, that make us Texas. Let’s be happy the last days of this year. Lets forget the negative and focus on the positive for the rest of the Year.