Every year on Christmas Eve night the volunteers flash the lights of the Reading Pagoda on Mount Penn to signal children Santa Claus is on his way to Berks County.
A tradition that dates back almost 50 years was canceled for the second year in a row due to ongoing renovations of the building.
To continue the tradition in a new way, Mayor Eddie Moran, along with members of the Pagoda-Skyline Foundation and the Reading Fire Department, invited the public to join them as a Reading Fire Department fire truck blinked its lights from the Pagoda parking lot.
The event began at 9pm. Due to the freezing temperatures, very few people made the trek up the mountain to attend.
However, the cold weather didn’t deter Jennie and Lauren from visiting the Pagoda. Lauren’s uncle, Charles Rampolla, who unexpectedly died this past year, spent the past 20 years volunteering his time to flicker the lights of the Pagoda.
“It’s special to our family” said Lauren. “This is our first Christmas up here without him, so it’s hard, but we’re keeping his memory alive, and happy to keep the tradition going.”
