The Wildwood Star
WIldwood families and friends Don't look for this star until Christmas Eve. That's when a group of friends and family lug a giant wooden structure up a Wildwood rock face. The tradition started 31 years ago, with longtime Wildwood resident Bob Stutt. He thought to light up everyone's Christmas Eve with a star shinning up on the hill. The Bird, Stutt and Brown families are the founders of the event, and still take the lead every year. But it's a Wildwood-wide initiative that involves many that makes it special for everyone. Machine operators Scott and Mike Brown are a couple of the main folk now responsible for keeping it going. "It was about keeping the tradition alive,” says Scott. “Then it became a tradition to get together." Want to see it? Just head over to Lois and Sutherland streets and look up on a clear night before 10pm. Fire Chief Terry Peters is also a helper, along with others that make the trek to the top of the mountain. A few years ago, he recalls, after Bob was too frail to climb the mountain, the Stutt family organized a helicopter to fly Bob over the site. Dressed Comfort & Joy 2017
as Santa Claus, Pete Bird came along, too. "When the duo flew over the star while everyone was setting it up, we looked up and Santa was throwing candy canes down on
"Wow! How Christmassy is that?" - Fire Chief Terry Peters
us. I thought, ‘Wow! How Christmassy is that!" The Star stays up until December 31. Volunteers visit it constantly. "They have a lot invested in time and effort to keep it lit over the holidays, and I often wonder about the equipment,” says Terry. “But it is the exact opposite of what you may think. Sometimes even donations have been left by hikers to help pay for the fuel. It really restores my faith. Ultimately, that is what Bob's inspiration was meant to do." "We go up rain, snow or fog," explained Scott. Here's hoping for clear night, gentlemen. C&J Page 11