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massive undertaking for the church, which accommodates close to 12,000 visitors every season. More than 900 volunteers, including 100 members of staff, work together to stage the pageant. “We hit the ground running during the month of November,” MacCartie said. Props and sets are removed from storage units, costumes are brought out and made presentable and a carnival-type setting is created from scratch every year. More than 800 church members volunteer to pull off the incredible feat. “It’s truly a
RANCHO SANTA FE NEWS
JAN. 1, 2010
labor of love,” MacCartie said. Mother Nature cooperated with this year’s event — no rain or cold weather damped the spirits of those attending. The economy, however, took its toll on the festivities this year. “We cut costs where we could,” MacCartie said. Food services, in particular, were cut. Meals were reduced to cookies and hot drinks. “We quickly came to realize that people were here for the pageant, not the food,” MacCartie said. From the smiling faces on the children riding live camels and interacting with donkeys and sheep, they certainly did- LIVING IT UP Left, Carlsbad resident Georgie Wentz as Mary, and San Diego resident Mark Young. Right, Roman Centurions, from left, n’t seem to mind at all. Encinitas resident Kim Healy, Carlsbad resident Jay Wentz, and Rancho Santa Fe resident Edward Hayes. Photos by Daniel Knighton