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circle of lightsA sixth grader from Greenwood will have a major role in beginning the Christmas Holiday Season in Indianapolis when she lights the Circle of Lights® on Monument Circle. Quality Connection and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers IBEW Local 481, the partners that present the annual Circle of Lights® is proud to announce that Gabrielle Nicole Allen will “flip the switch” to kickoff the Christmas season downtown.

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Gabrielle Nicole Allen will “Flip the Switch” to Light the 2014 Circle of Lights® On the Circle

Allen earned this honor as the winner of the annual Circle of Lights® Coloring Contest sponsored by Quality Connection, IBEW Local 481 and Downtown Indy.  Gabrielle Nicole Allen is an 11-year-old sixth-grade student at Clark-Pleasant Intermediate School in Greenwood. To our knowledge Allen may be the first African-American to earn the honor of joining Santa Claus and the Mayor of Indianapolis in flipping the switch to turn on the 4,784 multi-colored lights on Monument Circle. (Afternoons with Amos asked Downtown Indy if there had been any other African-American youngsters who’ve flipped the Circle of Lights® switch in the past but they didn’t respond by our deadline.)  Gabrielle Allen may be making Hoosier History when the switch is flipped around 7:50pm, Friday, November 28th and seen live on WRTV/Channel 6.

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Gabrielle Allen’s Winning Coloring Contest Entry

Allen’s  coloring contest entry seen here entitled “Love Indiana My Hometown” was chosen from more than 2,000 entries. Gabrielle Nicole Allen will receive a CollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings Plan of $529 to help her save for her college education. Four others were finalists in the contest: Chase Hayes, age 12; Olivia Barnett, age 10; Molly Bates, age 9 and Bryce McIntosh, age 9. They also received $529 in a 529 Savings Plan. The Circle of Lights® are on display on Monument Circle through the New Year’s Holiday.