Since 1986, the Santa Claus Lane Parade has been a keystone event in the Olean community.

Each November, thousands flock to downtown Olean to watch Santa – riding atop a fire engine – light the tree that now sits in the roundabout at the intersection of North Union Street and West State Street.

With a little help from the community, the North end of Olean could have a tree of its own.

In an effort to enhance the holiday ambiance and promote togetherness in the community, the Higgins Memorial Golf Tournament Fund will match up to $3,000 in donations to the Santa Claus Lane Parade Fund to install a new Christmas tree at the intersection of Main Street and the North Union Street Extension, which will come at a total cost of about $6,000.

This initiative aims to encourage local businesses, residents, and supporters to contribute towards the beautification of the city and the creation of cherished memories for years to come.

For the Higgins Memorial Golf Tournament committee, this matching grant will be the latest in a long list of grants to charitable causes in the greater Olean community.  Since 2012, the Higgins Memorial Golf Tournament Fund at CRCF has made possible over $71,000 in grants to support community nonprofits and charitable activities.

“We are excited to be working with the Higgins Memorial Golf Tournament committee and the Greater Olean Area Chamber of Commerce to rally support for further Santa Clause Lane improvements,” said Kirk Windus, CRCF executive director. “We invite the community to support this effort and rally around the Santa Claus Lane event that provides so much holiday joy to the Olean community.”

Donations in support of this effort can be made to the Santa Claus Lane Fund at CRCF, 301 North Union St., Suite 203, Olean, NY 14760, or online at cattfoundation.org.

The Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation is the area’s supportive, responsive and trusted community foundation. Established in 1994, CRCF is growing good by connecting donors to the causes they care about most in the region. Grants from the foundation support many areas, including education, scholarships, health care, the arts, community development, human service, and youth development. To learn more, call (716) 301-CRCF (2723), email [email protected], or visit online at www.cattfoundation.org. CRCF is also on Facebook (facebook.com/cattfoundation) and Twitter (@CattFoundation).