Vote For Your Favorite Ornament Design
Vote For Your Favorite Ornament Design
GOACC Has Narrowed the Search Down to the Final Four Place Options for the 2024 Christmas Ornament Design
OLEAN – Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce looked to the community for ideas for its 2024 Santa Claus Lane ornament through early January. The ornament will be the THIRTIETH in a series created by artist Kathleen McDonald.
“More than 35 buildings/areas were submitted as ideas for this year’s Santa Claus Lane ornament,” reported Meme K. Yanetsko, GOACC COO. Of the 35, six of the submissions were new: Joe’s Service Station, Napoli Pizza, Stroehmann’s Bakeries, Roxie’s, the Halfway and St. Elizabeth Motherhouse.
The top four submissions are Oak Hill Park, Olean Community Theatre, Cutco Cutlery, and HiHo Drive In. “Voting will begin today on the Chamber’s Facebook page @oleannychamber, via email to info@oleanny.com or by calling 716-372-4433,” she added. Please vote for one submission on each post — you can vote for more than one, but please vote each one separately. Voting will end at noon, this Friday, January 26.
Every year, a local landmark is chosen to be designed on the 3 1/2 inch circular resin ornament. The artist sketches the layout from photos provided by Chamber officials and a prototype is created. Once the prototype is approved, work begins with the process of pouring and hand-painting each piece. The ornaments arrive in Olean, individually boxed, with a brief description of the ornament. Some years, there are two ornaments. In that case, the overall winner is the first one. “We’ve had some companies come to us to have an additional ornament created — making two for that particular year — like Olean Class Cars, First Presbyterian Church, and Henry H. Hill. We ask for only ONE additional ornament and that building submit/pay the design fee,” stated Mrs. Yanetsko.
Past ornaments include the Olean Municipal Building, the Fannie E. Bartlett House, St. Mary of the Angels Church, Olean High School, St. Stephen’s Church, St. Bonaventure University, a depiction of Santa Claus Lane, the Olean General Hospital, Olean Post Office, Community Bank, Ivers J. Norton, the Castle Restaurant, St. Francis Hospital, Chuck Wagon Restaurant, Palace Theater, Boardmanville Elementary, Red and Trudys, North Union Street street scape (1st hundred block west side) , Olean Class Cars, Cloud 9 Amusement Park, Bradners Stadium, Henry H. Hill, Archbishop Walsh, Beef ‘n’ Barrel Restaurant, Tasta Pizza, the Olean Public Library, two in 2022 – First Presbyterian Church and Pioneer Park in Portville, and Angee’s Restaurant this past year.
The ornaments, in addition to event sponsorships, is a fundraiser for Santa Claus Lane. Ornaments began in 1999, and have been a great gift idea for local and former residents as well as corporate gifts. Through the fundraisers, the electricity bill (to light all the decorations) and refurbishing items (bulbs, garlands, light strands, etc.) are paid. Excess revenue (if any) from the event/fundraising, is turned over to the Santa Claus Lane fund that sits with the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation. That fund is for future purchases for the Santa Claus Lane celebration. For more information, please call the Chamber at 716-372-4433.