On Friday’s eve, Mažeikiai, a Lithuanian town of petroleum industry workers, enjoyed a Christmas tree lighting ceremony – a traditional gift by crude oil refining company ORLEN Lietuva. Fireworks, performance by town artists and Donatas Montyvas, a vocalist from Vilnius, made the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony more delightful.This year’s Christmas tree installed near St. Francis of Assisi Church in the center of the town has a total height of 18 meters. On Friday evening, it was illuminated by Mayor Vilhelmas Džiugelis and AB ORLEN Lietuva General Director Ireneuszas Fąfara. The Refinery donated 58 000 LTL for this town event.
Representatives of Mažeikiai Municipality and management of the largest company of Lithuania greeted the town residents that gathered around the Christmas tree. Mayor presented the symbolic key of the town to the principal host of the ceremony – Santa Claus and his convoy.
When greeting Mažeikiai residents, ORLEN Lietuva General Director Ireneuszas Fąfara expressed his joy over the long lasting cooperation between the Company and the town as well as the strong communal spirit and wished everyone a happy holiday season.
After the lighting of the Christmas tree, Šatrijos Ragana Award winner, expert teacher of Merkelis Račkauskas Gymnasium and the last year’s best educator Martynas Januška announced the opening of the merit campaign “Let’s Fill the Souls with Warmth”.
In 2009, at the initiative of ORLEN Lietuva, Mažeikiai region businessmen, representatives of public and non-governmental organizations launched a merit campaign “Let’s Fill the Souls with Warmth”. The purpose of the campaign was to unite the residents of Mažeikiai region into an open-hearted and understanding community, wipe out alienation and indifference to other people’s misfortunes and encourage compassion, sensitivity and desire to help others.
Girl‘s band Lietutis, the winner of numerous competitions in Lithuania and abroad, young performers of studio Sekmadienis and dance studio Džesi performed at the Christnas tree lighting ceremony. Singers of Lietutis band presented for the town residents a new Christmas programme - the programme that the band will be representing Mažeikiai with in the international vocal contest “Sing Christmas” in Panevėžys on 12 December. Later Donatas Montvydas, a talented young singer familiar to everyone from a number of TV projects, took to the stage. Sharing of candies and wishing to end the year meaningfully by Santa Claus closed the celebration
Last year, Mažeikiai Christmas tree won second place in the most beautiful Christmas tree contest hosted by DELFI website.