Do you remember when Sumter's Opera House celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1994? Or how about when Third Army came to Shaw Air Force Base? Or, more recently, when the construction of Bobby Richardson Baseball Complex was completed in 2022? These events, though they may be small to the rest of the world, commemorate a legacy of longevity in Sumter. And in turn, Sumter keeps those memories alive in its own special way.
What was meant to be a one-time thing, a small Sumter keepsake ornament that people could buy to commemorate the Sumter Opera House celebrating 100 years, quickly became something much larger. Now, the annual Sumter keepsake ornament is celebrating a commemorative date itself, 30 years.
"[The ornament keepsake tradition] really ties into the memories that people have of this community, which is a really cool element of that sentimental value, but at the same time, being able to preserve a piece of that history in a really cool [way] for future generations," Communications and Tourism Director for the City of Sumter Shelley Kile said.
It all began in 1994 with JoAnne Morris, who ran a local nonprofit and oversaw the making of the first commemorative ornament. After the success of the Sumter Opera House keepsake ornament, it was clear the ornaments were a community desire. And, though it is 30 years later, it is clear the ornaments are just as loved by the community. Just two years ago, the Bobby Richardson Baseball Complex ornament sold out only two days after its release. Luckily, the city could order more, but with earlier ornaments, only 500 were made, and when they sold out, they could never be purchased again.
In 2020, Morris retired from her role, and Sumter's tourism department took over the designing and ordering of the ornaments. The department often worked with Morris on the past ornaments, so it was a no-brainer that they would take over her work.
Each year, the city's tourism department puts its time and effort into picking an image to send to designers pertaining to something special that happened in Sumter that year. This year's ornament is of a P-51 Mustang Red Tail, one of the planes the Tuskegee Airmen flew. In February this year, Sumter held a dedication ceremony for the full-scale Red Tail model at the Tuskegee Airmen Memorial at Veterans Park, and the statue is reflected on the ornament.
A 3-D ornament with a silver finish, the bauble fits in nicely with past ornaments of the illustrious Swan Lake Iris Gardens and several other Sumter landmarks.
This year's ornament can be purchased for $20 at Simpson Hardware and Sports at 40 W. Wesmark Blvd. and at Sumter Visitors Center at 822 W. Liberty St. (inside the main gate of Swan Lake Iris Gardens). Simpson Hardware has already sold out once but has been restocked since. Certain past ornaments can also be purchased at the visitors center. Each one comes in a box that includes a pamphlet explaining the significance and history of the ornament.
The tourism department is already brainstorming ideas for the 2025 ornament, as the design must be sent out to manufacturers in the spring. Though the department values residents' input, they do not take recommendations into account when deciding what landmark will be featured on the yearly ornament. The ornament will also never be of a privately owned landmark.
One fun fact Kile shared was that the ornament manufacturer the city goes through is the same one the White House uses when making its yearly presidential ornaments.
Kile said that while the price of the ornaments has increased over the years because of manufacturing costs rising, the ornaments do not make all that much money.
"We just do it because it's fun," she said.
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