Turn on love lights

It’s doubtful temperatures in Huntington Beach will ever dip low enough for a holiday snowfall, but downtown Surf City will still be graced with snowflakes.

The Huntington Beach Youth Shelter is partnering with the city for the 11th year to Light a Light of Love as they line the pier and Main Street with large halogen snowflakes. The snowflakes will illuminate the streets throughout the holidays.

“It’s the way the city always brings in the holiday season,” said Elsa Greenfield, the shelter’s director.

The snowflakes are already installed on light fixtures downtown, but they won’t shine until the lighting ceremony Sunday, during which the area will be blacked out, allowing the snowflakes to be in the spotlight.

The festivities begin with a children’s parade down Main Street to Pier Plaza. Various children’s groups will start at Orange Avenue, including the Boy and Girl Scouts, Junior Lifeguards, and the OC Children’s Song and Dance Group.

The Ocean View High School Marching Band will play in the parade as well as provide entertainment at Pier Plaza. Of course the star of the parade is always a special Surf City Santa, who joins Mrs. Claus riding a fire truck. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be at Pier Plaza for the pier lighting and will be available for pictures with children.

There will be a countdown — à la New Years Eve in Times Square — to the official lighting at 6 p.m. Greenfield expects more than 4,000 for the event.

Each snowflake is sponsored by different groups or individuals, and raises money for the Youth Shelter’s crisis intervention programs. The sponsors get a sign under their adopted snowflake. This year there will also be small hand-held snowflake wands available for a donation at Pier Plaza. The small snowflake donations will allow anyone to support the shelter, even if they can’t afford the $600 to sponsor a large snowflake.

“Everybody can light up a little light of love for the shelter,” Greenfield said.

The event brings families from all over Huntington Beach to celebrate helping the shelter’s children. Greenfield says it’s always amazing to her to see the willingness of people to donate their time and talents to their cause.

“It just shows what’s right about Huntington Beach,” Greenfield says.

The shelter serves as a temporary residence for runaway, homeless and displaced children 11 to 17. The 12-bed facility serves children from all over Orange County who end up homeless in Huntington Beach. According to Greenfield, “Cities that have beaches are magnets for runaways.”

Children are referred to the shelter by police and hospitals, and are sometimes even walk-ins.

Aside from housing and nutrition, the program also provides counseling for kids and parents, skill-building classes, and private tutoring.

The main goal is to reunite families and, failing that, to put the children in a situation where they will be cared for and given the opportunity to succeed.

“Instead of having them unsafe on the streets, they have a place to go as a safe haven,” Greenfield said.

There are still snowflakes available. To sponsor a snowflake, call (714) 842-6600.

IF YOU GO

What: The Annual Holiday Children’s Parade and Pier Lighting

Where: The parade is on Main Street; the lighting ceremony is at Pier Plaza

When: Parade at 4:30 p.m.; lighting at 6 p.m.

Cost: Free

Information: (714) 842-6600