Friday wasn’t just Friday the 13th, it was also the day to turn your ugliest Christmas sweater into a fashion statement with Richland Source’s countywide Ugly Christmas Sweater contest.
Students from Pioneer Career and Technology Center’s Performing Arts Academy, located on West Fourth Street in the Carrousel District, had fun participating in the festive, silly day of wearing ugly sweaters.
“Richland Source is right behind us and since they’ve moved in we’ve sort of had a really nice neighborly relationship,” said Anne Kurtzman, the lead teacher at the performing arts academy. “So any time something fun comes up or anytime they need help with anything, that’s kind of why we’re here.
“We want to be a nice vital part of the community and be helpful to our neighbors,” she added.
Kurtzman donned a Christmasy white based turtleneck with multiple mini-poinsettia leaves on it. She also covered the turtleneck with a blue button up ugly Christmas sweater in which the collar was lined with snowflakes and two Christmas mittens stitched on the sides of the sweater that could double for pockets.
“Anytime we give the kids a chance to have fun, they love it,” Kurtzman said.
The students even sang a Christmas carol for us:
Pioneer student Raven Stanley made her ugly Christmas sweater. She took a plain green sweater and stitched gold garland around the swooped neckline. She also sewed several red glittery bows – like the kind you might see on a Christmas tree – to the cotton sweater, three going down the middle along with a few around the neckline.
She said she found the sweater from the local Goodwill thrift store.
“Honestly, from all the ugly sweaters that I’ve seen, I love it. I think it’s hilarious and awesome,” Stanley said.
Kim Laferty also made her ugly Christmas sweater. She took a simpler route of tying a bright red Estee Lauder ribbon around the waist of her cardigan white sweater. She also attached red ornament bells to accentuate the Christmas part of her ugly sweater.
“I saw that our jingle bells were lying out with our Christmas decorations,” she said. “So, I just started tying them on.”
Laferty also added a silly touch to her sweater by wearing four different sports pins of herself throughout the years.
Heath Yoha said he bought his ugly Christmas sweater from another local thrift store, Volunteers of America. His sweater was a classic. It was indeed a thrift store “find” with a 1970s looking Santa and embroidery work that has came apart over the years.
“I saw this sweater and I thought, ‘This is god-awful. I have to get it,’” the teen laughed.
Yoha said he was happy to participate in Richland Source’s county wide ugliest Christmas sweater contest/day.
“I think it’s hilarious. It’s a cool idea and I’m glad I got to participate,” he said.
Did you participate?
If you did, be sure to send a picture to Richland Source or the contest. Use any of these methods: Tweet to: @richlandsource, Facebook to: /richlandsource, or E-mail to: contact@richlandsource.com
All entries will be posted a gallery to Richland Source on Monday, Dec. 16. Voting for the best sweater will be open through midnight Dec. 20.
Contest Categories (one winner for each category) include Male Ugliest Sweater, Female Ugliest Sweater, Child Ugliest Sweater, and Group Ugliest Sweater (classroom, co-workers, people you just met).
“I saw that our jingle bells were lying out with our Christmas decorations,” said Kim Laferty. “So, I just started tying them on.”
