Mayor’s Holiday Lighting gets new logo

Logo designers Danielle Fisher and Beau Phillips, both of whom work at not-for-profit organizations, informed local Historic City News reporters that they have pooled their talents and created a new logo to brand future fundraising efforts and charitable giving through the annual Mayor’s Holiday Lighting.

The event features a cocktail reception at the Government House on illumination evening for the Nights of Lights, dancing, and a silent auction in the courtyard of the former Hotel Alcazar.

“We hope that we can use our experience to help build a brand for this event so that future St Augustine mayors see it as a worthy community service,” Phillips said.

In its first years of existence, the Mayor’s Holiday Lighting benefitted St. Francis house as it worked to build transitional housing. Once that project was completed, the mayor reached out to Home Again St Johns; who coordinates providers, government, individuals, community and faith based organizations to resolve homelessness issues.

Now in its seventh year, the Mayor’s Holiday Lighting has already raised more than $128,000 to fight homelessness in St. Augustine and St. Johns County.

“We hope the event will continue to grow in popularity and impact,” Jane Boles, wife of St. Augustine’s mayor and one of the events founders, said. “We want to be certain that everyone knows that the Mayor’s Holiday Lighting is not only a special event on a special evening, but also benefits a worthy cause.”

Home Again St. Johns helped coordinate more than 34,000 meals in 2012 through the Dining with Dignity program, assists in relocating homeless people sleeping on the St. Augustine bay front, and has leased and is working to build a one-stop care facility, located on SR-207.