Lighting ceremony planned Dec. 22 at Cross of Peace on Bald Knob

The Bald Knob Cross of Peace will once again shine brightly in the night as an inspirational beacon visible for miles from the top of a mountain in rural Alto Pass.

A lighting ceremony is planned Saturday evening, Dec. 22.

The ceremony will be held outside, near the base of the cross – weather permitting. The ceremony will be moved indoors in the event of inclement weather.

The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. Re-lighting of the cross is set for 5:30 p.m.

The re-lighting will complete the total restoration of the Bald Knob Cross of Peace, which began in 2009.

The newly restored cross will be lit with new LED lighting backed by a entirely new electrical infrastructure.

A student from the Shawnee Hills Christian Academy in Anna will be chosen to "flip the switch" to turn on the lights to illuminate the cross.

Members of the Cobden High School choir will be singing at the event.

There will be light refreshments served and visitors are asked to bring a lawn chair.

Bald Knob Cross board president D.W. Presley said that in addition to the many individuals and businesses who have donated funding during the restoration, the lighting project would not be possible without the donations of time, labor and equipment from the following organizations:

All Electric Services Inc., Carbondale. IBEW Local No. 702, West Frankfort. JMS Metals, Sparta. Quadrant Design Architects & Planners, Waterloo and Sparta. Superior Custom Builders, Sparta.

Presley noted that plans to continue improvements to the cross property are in the works, beginning with a memorial paver garden that will encircle the cross.

Information about purchasing a paver brick is available at www.baldknobcross.com