Five Points Up invites the public to its fourth annual Winter Wonderland program on Thursday, Dec. 7 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Dr. Walter Hardy Park, 2020 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. The purpose of the program is to build relationships among East Knoxville neighbors and inform community members of available services.

“Winter Wonderland is an opportunity for community members who may not have a family with whom to celebrate the holiday, the chance to share the season with the community. It’s also a way to rejoice in the season and build relationships,” said Albert Nelson, Five Points Up member and Community Action Committee (CAC) East Neighborhood Center director. “Over the past three years, more than 200 community members and partners have participated, and this year’s event promises to be even bigger and better.”

The free event is open to the public and includes food and entertainment. Community organizations will have booths set up inside the Tabernacle Baptist Church, 2135 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., across the street from Dr. Walter Hardy Park. New this year, groups and organizations are invited to participate in a tree decorating contest in Walter Hardy Park. More details are available by calling 865-546-5125.

Five Points Up is a community-led group with the mission to beautify and unify East Knoxville through community-based activities and events. Five Points Up, in partnership with East Knoxville Lions Club, works to improve the health of those living and working in the area by increasing the sense of community. The Knoxville East Lions Club’s mission is to improve the health and wellness of the community through multiple community engagement strategies in partnership with Smoke-Free Knoxville and the Knox County Health Department’s Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Program.

According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, promoting meaningful community participation builds trust and relationships among neighbors, empowering them to become advocates for their communities. Neighborhood involvement helps communities reach health-related goals and empowers residents to adopt behaviors that improve health outcomes.

KCHD’s mission is to encourage, promote and assure the development of an active, healthy community through innovative public health practices. The organization conducts disease surveillance, prevention and control; emergency preparedness; nutrition and physical activity promotion; tobacco use prevention; health equity promotion; immunizations; and much more. For more information, visit www.knoxcounty.org/health.