Star made of tornado damage shines bright atop SKyPAC’s Christmas tree

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Dec. 10 marks the third anniversary of the December 2021 tornadoes, and after all the devastation, one star is shining as a beacon of light and hope for Bowling Green.

Sitting high atop the large Christmas tree at the Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center is a star made of debris found on Magnolia Street, an area that was hit very hard by the tornado. The shining ornament made by Randall Erskine and Erskine Concepts, is made of aluminum and brass from what used to be someone’s home, now shines as a symbol of hope and dedication to returning Bowling Green to normalcy while offering a remembrance to that terrifying night in December.

“We made something that was honestly so hard and tough for our community and kind of repurposed it for something greater and something that helps bring the community together rather than focusing on what happened back in 2021, just where people can see where we are now and how far we’ve come,” said Makenzie Belcher, a marketing and public relations assistant with SKyPAC.

This is the third year the star has been atop the tree, and the star that sits atop the Christmas tree has been lit up since the first week of December and will stay lit at least until the new year.

Visitors can visit the tree and star in front of SKyPAC.