For 16 years, Joni Wootton has spent the holiday season organizing, assembling, selling, displaying and enjoying luminary kits in Alpine.

Luminaries -- a holiday tradition in the city for 17 years -- are candles embedded in sand in small, weather-resistant sacks. Every year, the flickering candles line neighborhoods and city streets of Alpine on Christmas Eve.

While sometimes whole neighborhoods put out the lights -- "It's always lovely if we get a whole block," Wootton said -- she and volunteers set up lighted sacks from the roundabout up to 200 North on Main Street. "That's always lit up pretty."

Every year, Wootton and her army of student volunteers (this year from Lone Peak High's chamber choir) count out 24 long-burning candles and 24 weather-resistant sacks for each kit, along with instructions. Then, in the days before Christmas, they hand them out and help shovel sand for each one. Last year they used 4 tons of sand for approximately 400 kits.

"It's a lot of sand," she said, adding that people should put 3 cups of sand in each sack to nestle the candle and hold the wax.

Buyers have to supply their own containers to transport sand. Wootton recommends a 5-gallon bucket. The kits, including sand, are $15.

Part of the $15 goes toward the cost of supplies. The leftover money this year will go to the chamber choir at Lone Peak. She donates her profits every year to the organization that helped her with the project.

"It's been a great fundraiser," she said.

"It works out really well. It helps the kids with their activities."

Wootton says you don't have to be an Alpine resident to buy a kit, and has even tried to get the project started in other communities. But, she said, people generally shy away from organizing a luminary project because it's too much work.

Last year, Wootton sold about 400 kits, and this year plans to have 400-500 kits for sale.

She's never sold out, and says that she'd hate to turn people away, but she would love to sell out because it would mean more money going to the students who help her.

The kits are available for pre-order through Dec. 15, Wootton said.

Checks for pre-orders should be sent to Luminaries, 88 N. 200 East, Alpine, UT 84004, according to the city's Web site. Kits will be available for pick up at the Alpine City Shops at 181 E. 200 North, Dec. 19, 4-6 p.m.; Dec. 20, 10-2 p.m.; and Dec. 22 and 23, 4 to 6 p.m.