Community roundup: Holiday spirit is shining across the CSRA

Hawk Law Group is offering assistance

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Hawk Law Group will provide assistance to five deserving families this holiday season through its second annual Hawk Helps initiative.

“Things are difficult enough for families experiencing difficult times, but it’s more difficult during the holidays,” said Reid Sanders, a partner in the group. “We started Hawk Helps to bring some Christmas joy to local families who are struggling.”

The public can nominate families by going to HawkHelps.com. From the nominations, Hawk Law Group will pick five families to help. Nominations must be made by Dec. 5, and families will receive their gifts between Dec. 17 and 21.

Hawk Law Group will help in any way it can, Sanders said, from purchasing Christmas gifts or groceries to making car or utility payments.

With five offices in the Augusta, Thomson, and Aiken areas, Hawk Law Group is made up of trial attorneys practicing in many areas, including personal injury, wrongful death, and criminal defense. For more information, visit HawkLawGroup.com or find Hawk Law Group on Facebook.

Christmas Kick-Off show set for this week

AUGUSTA, Ga. - On Wednesday, don’t miss a special Christmas Kick-Off show for the Salvation Army of Augusta with live music from Forest O’Quinn, Joe Stevenson, Josh Pierce, John Krueger and Shakia Chanel.

This is free to the public, so you can bring the entire family.

It will happen starting at 5 p.m. and will end around 7 p.m. in the theater at the Kroc Center in Augusta on Broad Street.

There will be activities for kids, a tree lighting, Angel tree adoptions and the kickoff to the Kettle Bell Ringing Season.

Catch it live during our newscasts tomorrow and head to www.salvationarymaugusta.org for more info.

Woodrow Wilson home will be decorated for holidays

AUGUSTA, Ga. - You can celebrate the holiday season with a tour of the Boyhood Home of President Woodrow Wilson, a national historic landmark.

The house at 419 Seventh St. will be decorated for the holidays with fresh evergreens and festive decorations.

December tours will incorporate details about what Christmas was like in 1860s before, during and after the Civil War.

Special Candlelight Tours will take place on Dec. 3 and 4 from 5-6:30 pm, with tours offered every 30 minutes. The last tour will commence at 6:30 pm. You can enjoy festive refreshments with the lights turned down low, the candles flickering, and live music filling the house with holiday cheer from long ago. Candlelight tour ission is $10 for adults or $5 for students K-12. Visit www.wilsonboyhoodhome.org or call us at 706-724-0436 to make a reservation.

Guided day tours throughout the month of December are offered Wednesdays through Fridays on the hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

ission to the house is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, and $3 for students K-12. Children 5 and under are free.

For more information, Historic Augusta at 706-724-0436 or visit www.wilsonboyhoodhome.org. The Wilson House is located at 419 Seventh Street in downtown Augusta, Georgia.

Mayoral candidate will give out sweet potatoes

AUGUSTA, Ga - Mayoral candidate Garnett Johnson will be handing out Georgia-grown sweet potatoes ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday in hopes of connecting with the local community.

“I want to take this opportunity to give back to my community in this small way during the holidays and to get to know the residents of Richmond County on a more personal level,” said Garnett. “Thanksgiving has always been a special holiday for my family. My mother, Edna, always makes the best sweet potato pie, and this giveaway is to honor her.”

Garnett welcomes the public and will be handing out sweet potatoes with his family starting at 1 p.m. Saturday at 4102 Windsor Spring Road until they are gone. He will also be sharing his mother’s treasured sweet potato pie recipe.

How to experience the Feast Before the Feast

AUGUSTA, Ga. - The Braswell Manigault Foundation presents the Feast Before the Feast on Thursday.

The meal will include turkey, ham, chicken, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, yams, greens, dressing, cranberry sauce, drinks and dessert.

It will be open to all from 5-8 p.m. at two locations:

McBean Community Center, 1165 Hephzibah McBean Road.
McDuffie Woods Community Center, 3431 Old McDuffie Road.

Tree lighting scheduled for Dec. 3 in Aiken

AIKEN, S.C. – The Aiken Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department will host the 33rd annual downtown tree lighting on Dec. 4 from 6-7:30 p.m.

It will take place on Newberry Street with music, refreshments, live performances and a countdown to the lighting of the tree. Kids can stop by the craft station to create a holiday keepsake.

The 24 foot “dancing” Christmas tree display has more than 8,000 flashing lights that dance in patterns synchronized to holiday tunes.

In the nights following the tree lighting, visitors to Newberry Street can watch the tree’s lights and listen to the musical portion of the tree on 98.7 FM.