For some 15 years, Tremain Gilmore, Carver’s Teen Center Manager, organizes an annual community Christmas Eve luncheon for hundreds of people to celebrate the holiday together.

This important event that engages more than 40 volunteers and many more donors offers a sumptuous banquet of hot food, free clothing, mountains of presents for one and all, and even face painting for the kids. A DJ keeps the merry music going and everyone informed and gifted. This year, the event took place on Saturday, December 21st.

The event moved to the Carver Community Center years ago, after it outgrew the original space provided by the South Norwalk Community Center.

Tremain created the event along with his childhood friend, Maurice “Mo” Tomlin, a beloved basketball coach at Brien McMahon High School and important member of the Carver family until his sudden death in 2015. Carver named a summer community basketball program Mo’s Summer Run that Tremain manages.

Joining Tremain each year in the planning and production of this joyous event are members of the Fairfield County Alumnae Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Jacqueline Roberson, a social worker at Carver after school and at Norwalk High School during the school day, is another longtime volunteer leader for this annual event. Members of the Norwalk Police Department and Carver board members such as Kimberly Gaddy also volunteer and join in the fun.