Beacon Journal holiday tree features comics and Christmas magic | Opinion
Theresa BennettAkron Beacon Journal
Nov. 13, 2026, 6:05 a.m. ET
At risk of sounding like a song we’ll be hearing far too much of in the days to come, Christmas truly is a season full of magic.
It’s a time when we honor tradition while also beginning new traditions for future generations to enjoy. It’s a time of year that seems never short on nostalgia and miracles.
That’s why I was thrilled last year when Beacon Journal Executive Editor Cheryl Powell started what we hope will become a yearly tradition of donating a tree to the Akron Children’s Holiday Tree Festival.
The fundraiser itself is ingenious: Organizations or individuals donate decorated trees, wreaths and other decor that the hospital auctions off. But before the holiday decor is whisked off to its new home, it goes on display for the entire community to enjoy for free. This year, the John S. Knight Center will be open for community members to check out the display Nov. 14-22.
I was honored to take the helm for our tree this year to try to capture some of that holiday magic.
Our theme, “Newspaper comics throughout the years,” is a nod to childhoods past and present, with vintage and modern cartoon characters throughout, along with vintage Beacon Journal comic pages reimagined as ornaments courtesy of Beacon Journal reporter Craig Webb.
Artists of present and past contributed to our tree donation, too. After calling for one-panel cartoon submissions responding to the prompt, “BREAKING NEWS: Something unbelievable happened one holiday morning…,” I received nearly 25 entries from kids around the region. From elaborate stories about reindeer driving Santa’s sleigh to a simple “thank you” to parents, the cartoons range from silly to downright sweet.
I chose three of my favorites that are now displayed as ornaments on our tree, but you can see them all in a gallery on our website.
And at the centerpiece of our donation, we have an original drawing by one of the Beacon Journal’s own former editorial cartoonist Chuck Ayers, a talented artist behind comic strips Funky Winkerbean and Crankshaft. His artwork perfectly captures the feeling of waking up on Christmas morning as a child.
There is a bit of Christmas magic wrapped up in Ayers’ drawing, too. One morning, right as he was beginning to work on the final draft, Ayers noticed he was involuntarily dropping items.
It’s a miracle, Ayers said, that the only effects of the stroke were a loss of function in his left hand − his dominant hand.
This certainly would’ve been reason to withdraw from the project, but Ayers did not. Instead, he said the project served as physical therapy for him.
Over the years, I’ve seen Christmas magic play out myself.
I’ve been lucky enough to witness major miracles around the holidays, like when I had the opportunity to write about Jerry Miller and his brother John 10 years ago as a newbie reporter. Over 90% of Jerry’s body was burned in a fire. When the Amish family was admitted to Akron Children’s, they learned John was Jerry’s identical twin, making him the ideal option for a skin donor and making it possible for Jerry to be home just in time for the holidays.
But I’ve seen magic in the ordinary, too. The magic of a child loving Christmas so much that “Jingle Bells” becomes their favorite song for three years straight. (True story.)
The magic of a person finding reason to smile during the holiday season despite missing a loved one who passed.
The magic of a community coming together and contributing so many hours, as well as immense artistic talents, to a fundraiser that benefits children in a hospital that makes miracles happen year round.
Perhaps the magic of Christmas isn’t that it necessarily brings miracles, but that it helps us recognize them when they do happen.
This year, I hope you get a chance to visit the Holiday Tree Festival to feel, witness, and participate in some of that holiday magic for yourself.
Have you experienced holiday magic? A Christmas miracle? Send your story to tbennett@usatodayco.com.
