Welcoming in New Year 2024 in Oak Ridge!
Nearly 3,000 people attended Oak Ridge's first New Year's Eve Countdown at A.K. Bissell Park, according to Billy Edmonds, the executive director of the Free Medical Clinic of Oak Ridge, which sponsored the event.
In addition, he stated in an emailed response to The Oak Ridger's quetions, data shows more than 10,000 people viewed the festivities on online and television platforms used by BBB Communications to air the live event. The event got underway at 9 p.m. Dec. 31 and ended at 1 a.m. Jan. 1.
A lighted "ball" in the shape of an atom, designed and created by welding instructors and students at TCAT (Tennessee College of Applied Technology) Harriman, was dropped to welcome in the new year 2024. Two bands performed for the crowd, while party-goers enjoyed hot chocolate, food from food trucks, beer and wine from the beer garden, and the fireworks.
The only casualty of the bash were the two hot air balloons that were never able to significantly lift people above Bissell Park because of the wind.
"The wind was an issue all day," Edmonds said. "All night it was 10-12 mph (20 feet off the ground) and regulations won’t allow them to go up at those speeds. ... We were disappointed too."
However, he said people seemed to enjoy seeing the balloons and were able to get photos taken in the balloons' baskets.
MCLinc, one of the event's sponsors, presented Free Medical Clinic with a check for $25,000.
Free Medical Clinic held the countdown event because of a "grateful heart," Edmonds had said earlier. Because of the support of its partners, donors, and volunteers, the clinic provided more than 12,000 patient medical appointments worth over $7.8 million to the rural and minority, low-income and uninsured people of the area.
Plans are for the countdown to become an annual event.
The Oak Ridger's News Editor Donna Smith covers Oak Ridge area news. Email her at dsmith@oakridger.com and follow her on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, @ridgernewsed.
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This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Welcoming in New Year 2024!
