In January, Downtown Fort Wayne honored another round of Unsung Heroes at its annual Celebrate Downtown ceremony—a celebration of the people, places, and partnerships that make Downtown Fort Wayne a great place to live, work, and play. For years, Celebrate Downtown has shed a light on community members who do great things, yet receive little recognition for their contributions.
One of this year’s honorees is Debbie Demeritt. For decades Debbie has played an instrumental role in breathing life back into the Tree on Calhoun (part of DTFW’s Night of Lights celebration). Organizing such a spectacle is a true labor of love; it’s volunteer-led and requires hours of work—many of which are the night before Thanksgiving. Which means, year after year, Debbie has sacrificed countless nights with her family to help countless other families make their own special memories.
So give a round of applause to Debbie for her decades of hard work making Night of Lights a memory-making tradition for Fort Wayne families!
Get to know Debbie Demeritt—one of DTFW’s 2025 Unsung Heroes:
Molly: I understand that you started helping with Night of Lights decades ago. Can you tell me how you first got involved in the event, and why the Tree on Calhoun has a special place in your heart?
Debbie: I worked for Norwest Bank when the offices were built at the corner of Wayne and Calhoun. The bank became involved with the Downtown Night of Lights festivities and brought the Christmas tree back to that corner (the tree was beloved in the glory days of Wolf & Desshauer’s Downtown Christmas decor). It was a large production, and everyone in the administrative offices was involved in some way—that year they hired Mudracks to locate a 35-foot tree for the top of the walkway across Calhoun St.
When Norwest acquired Wells Fargo, they brought in the Wells Fargo Stagecoach for display in front of the building. The event continued to grow year after year. I stayed involved through all of it, and eventually I was in charge of the bank’s involvement.
I was born in Fort Wayne and remember the Downtown shopping and coming to see the Wolf and Dessauer display every year. I was especially enamored with the huge Christmas tree that you could drive right under at that corner and how large each of the ornaments were. I have very fond memories of Christmases from my childhood, and have always enjoyed helping create similar memories for children today.
Molly: Do you have a favorite Night of Lights memory or story?
Debbie: My greatest memories were the years that the bank hosted a reception for the employees and their families. It was such a great team- and family-building activity, and it put everyone in the holiday spirit.
Molly: Do you have any big goals for 2025?
Debbie: Yes! I plan to attend the Night of Lights for the first time, so that my family and I can visit all the other lighting locations. I have not been able to do that before now, since I have always worked the event.
Molly: How did you react when you heard you were being honored as an Unsung Hero?
Debbie: I was honored to be selected. I have always had a good working relationship with Frank Howard and the rest of the Downtown Fort Wayne’s team. I find this to be the greatest event in Fort Wayne, and an ideal time to ring in the holidays with family. I will miss working with everyone.
Molly Conner is a Fort Wayne native and freelance writer. Having lived in Downtown Fort Wayne throughout her twenties, she loves watching her stomping grounds grow. With her love of storytelling and community in tow, she’s eager to tell Downtown Fort Wayne’s story piece-by-piece—exploring the people, spaces, and organizations that make it thrive.