Greenville has a moose of a different color. Or name. All to help the financially strapped borough pay for Christmas decorations.

"(A member of Greenville Area Preservation Association) and I were talking about ways to raise money," said Lorrie Smith of GAPA. "And she mentioned her silly moose pattern. It snowballed from a raffle to a naming contest."

Now, it's both. GAPA is sponsoring a moose-naming contest. Participants buy a chance to name the moose for $2. A winning name will be selected and the person who entered that name will take the moose home for their lawn.

"We've had everything from Moosie to Abernakki," Ms. Smith said. She added that Abernakki is a Native American word for moose.

"It's made from heavy duty outdoor plywood. It's really a very nice moose," she said.

The contest ends the last week of November. The organization will hold a lighting ceremony Dec. 1 to announce the winner of the contest.

Ms. Smith said the moose contest was an opportunity to give people something to smile about.

"People who haven't had anything to laugh at in a long time can look at the moose and laugh," she said.

Ms. Smith said GAPA was formed in her kitchen two years ago when five people got together to talk about the borough's financial situation. They formed the citizens' group, which raises money for several public projects. Right now, they're focusing on raising money to repair or replace Greenville's Christmas decorations.

The organization hosted a spaghetti dinner in September to help the cause. The event was so popular the group sold out of tickets and was forced to turn people away. The event raised $2,000, Ms. Smith said.

Between the dinner and the moose contest, they've raised enough money to refurbish the borough's Christmas wreaths and to assume the electric bill for the decorations. The decorations will be put on light poles from Dec. 1 to Jan. 7.

She said costs for the project were estimated around $1,500.

The organization is planning several projects, including establishing a fund to put against any debt the borough may occur. Ms. Smith said the organization was looking at planning another festival and also at possibly making the spaghetti dinner an annual event.

Ms. Smith said the support from the community and from local business was "overwhelming."

To enter the moose contest, send an entry and $2 to GAPA, 1 Walnut St., Greenville 16125, or stop in any Greenville business where the moose is displayed.

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writer Amanda Smith-Teutsch at ateutsch@sharonherald.com