One of the more enduring traditions that the Village of New Hyde Park celebrates every year is the annual Christmas tree lighting. Valley National Bank has been the longstanding sponsor for the event and as such, does a bang-up job in helping to make it far more than a routine flipping of a switch to light up the tree. The magician Amore showed up to dazzle the crowd with his sleight of hand, the New Hyde Park Memorial High School band and choir made a joyous noise and Santa rode in on a New Hyde Park Fire Department truck, immediately putting a grin on the faces of children of all ages. The little ones got a further treat when they were surprised with gifts given out to them from the Little Treasures Nursery School. These small gestures may not seem like much, but in light of the destruction recently brought to the village by Hurricane Sandy, it all adds up to the kind of cherished, small-town custom and spiritual balm that goes a long ways towards making New Hyde Park a great place to live.
– Dave Gil de Rubio
