BELLE PLAINE, Kan. — The cancellation of the beloved Christmas Drawing in Norcatur, Kansas, is shining a spotlight on a global coronavirus pandemic that has reached deep into rural America.
The notice blamed individuals who have COVID-19 and refuse to quarantine for not making it safe for the town to hold its Christmas celebration. It’s a decades-old tradition in which the whole town gets together for a potluck dinner. It features a plethora of donated meats, crafts and other goodies so every family can go home with prizes.
Sheriff Ken Badsky estimated that 5% of county residents who should quarantine violate the restrictions and go out.