ALTON - Community members have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas and give back at an upcoming party.
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From 6–11 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, you can come out to Bowl Haven in Alton for the 19th annual Christmas party organized by the nonprofit Something Bigger Than Yourself. The party benefits Alton Catholic Children’s Home, Beverly Farms, and the Alton Boys and Girls Club. Everyone in the community is invited to come, have fun, and give back.
“When you come to this Christmas event at Bowl Haven, you will not leave the same,” promised Jay Lipe, founder of Something Bigger Than Yourself (SBTY). “It just touches the hearts.”
The event will include kids and adults from Alton Catholic Children’s Home, Beverly Farms, and the Alton Boys and Girls Club. Families are encouraged to join in the fun.
But community members who are not affiliated with these organizations are also invited to enjoy the evening. Lipe noted that their goal is to bring people together and give back as much as possible. If you can donate a gift to SBTY, they would appreciate the donation. But if not, the party aims to spread Christmas joy and give back more than anything else.
“It’s just the gift of giving. We’re celebrating what the true reason of the season is,” Lipe explained. “This is a Charlie Brown Christmas. We’re going back to the basics. We just want to have a good time and let the kids have fun.”
Prizes will be awarded for the best decorated table, the best costume, and the best bowler. A dance competition at 8 p.m. will also crown a winner.
While the fun is focused on Dec. 20, the Christmas cheer goes beyond that. At 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 13, you can enjoy a pre-party bash to raise money for SBTY and the Christmas party at Charlack Pub in St. Louis. This free event will feature music by Lords of Jupiter, JJ Riggs, Sifasic, and Hosteen. The goal is to raise money and get people in the spirit for the main party on Dec. 20.
SBTY started 19 years ago as a way for Lipe and his daughter to support kids in the
Alton community. The organization has grown to help kids, senior citizens, and disabled individuals across the U.S., even expanding into Mexico for certain initiatives. All donations go directly toward the people they help.
Lipe shared that they have given gifts to kids in hospitals, hosted water balloon fights at the Alton Catholic Children’s Home, and brought flowers to widows in nursing homes on Valentine’s Day, among many other programs. The organization aims to give back and support the community.
The 19th annual Christmas party on Dec. 20 will do exactly that, and Lipe hopes to see a big crowd of people. He joked that the event is “controlled chaos,” with plenty of fun and gifts for kids to enjoy.
If you can donate at the pre-party bash or the Christmas party, your gift is appreciated. But no matter what, you’re invited to join in on what promises to be a powerful experience.
“If you do not have a gift to give, that doesn’t matter to me. Please come anyway just to support the cause and spend some time with a child,” Lipe added. “You can talk to people, and you might just be the one that gets your hearts touched.”
For more information about Something Bigger Than Yourself and the Christmas party, visit their official website at SomethingBiggerThanYourself.org or call Lipe directly at 618-567-6785.
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