A towering city landmark's upcoming golden anniversary could pass with little fanfare.

The 37-metre illuminated cross on Moffly Hill will reach its 50th anniversary in May.

But the volunteer group that looks after the site near St. George's Avenue doesn't plan to hold any type of special event to mark the stainless steel structure's half-century presence in the city.

"Our responsibility is simply to keep the cross lit and keep the grounds nice," said Tony Martin, Light the Cross chair, in a recent interview.

Instead, the group is open to offers from other community groups interested in organizing an anniversary event in the coming months.

The Sault chapter of Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship in Canada may take the lead.

"We're certainly considering it," said president J. Denny Wilkinson.

"We'll make that decision within the next week, I would think."

A four-member executive will decide what to do at a meeting on March 29.

If the group decides to do something, Wilkinson hopes Martin will be involved. He wants to talk to the federal member of Parliament to see "how much support he can give, how much he can put into it with us."

The gospel men's group organized a community praise and worship service at St. Basil Secondary, a Catholic high school near the cross, in February during Ontario Winter Carnival Bon Soo.

That event drew more than 70, said Wilkinson, from several different faith groups.

"It was a great interdenominational (gathering)," he said.

"We didn't even talk denominations. We were just all there praising."

The cross has played to a wide variety of events during its five-decade history, including "Polka priest" Rev. Frank Perkovich, singer David Parkes and the religious television program,100 Huntley Street.

The 12-tonne cross was erected by the St. Mary's College Men's Club on May 14, 1960. It's believed to be in the same area where a cedar cross was raised on June 14, 1671 as part of a French celebration that drew thousands of aboriginals.

A monster bingo, the largest ever in the city at the time, was held at the Memorial Gardens in 1958 to help pay for the cross's construction.

The cross, which can be seen for about 30 kilometres, is lit by 15 bulbs. Each light lasts about two years.

"When people talked about the Sault, there wasn't anything distinct about it,"

Mike Lukenda told The Sault Star in 1960.

"Now there is."

Bill Taylor, Mike Perepelytz and Lukenda spearheaded the cross's creation.

An acre of land is leased for a dollar a year from Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board.

The 20-year deal, signed in 1990, expires this year.

"It's something that we have to get on with and get done," said Martin.

"I don't think there's anybody paying real close attention to it. There's no pressure from the school board on us to do anything different than what we've been doing for the last 20 years."

Regis O'Connor, secretary/ treasurer with Light the Cross, is also a Catholic board trustee. He is responsible for completing a new deal.

Vandals continue to mar the hilltop site. A grotto, containing a statute of the Virgin Mary, was vandalized three times in 2009. As well, a section of the site's underground sprinkler system was ripped up.

Still, said groundskeeper Gerry Ouellette, the mischief " hasn't been as bad as it used to be."

At 85, he continues to tend the grounds that overlook the city.

He'd like more help caring for the lawn, flowers and more than 200 rose bushes.

"It's not a lot of hard work," said Ouellette.

"It's just to have a little bit of help."

The committee began using a two-car garage at the former Crawley Hall, former residence of the Basilian fathers, and now known as the F.R. Mills Centre, about two years ago. It stores necessary equipment such as lawnmowers, paint, rakes and tools.

Anyone interested in volunteering with the site's upkeep can call Ouellette at 253-5674.

"It's a beautiful cross. It's a beautiful site," said Martin.

"It doesn't just happen. There's a lot of work that goes into maintaining it."

It costs about $10,000 to $15,000 to light the cross and maintain the grounds.

Donations usually match annual expenses.

"We've always been able to find the resources," said Martin.

"The community has been very generous . . . We're never significantly under. We're never significantly over."

Light the Cross hopes the municipality will post directions at the city's northern and eastern limits guiding visitors to the Moffly Hill site.

Cheques, payable to Light the Cross Fund, can be sent to 4744 Second Line W, Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., P6A 6K4.

Donations are tax deductible.

- - -

The cross

$l-- how much money Light the Cross pays Huron-Superior Catholic District School Board annually to use land atop Moffly Hill. It was also the suggested amount every household in Sault Ste. Marie contribute toward the cross' construction in 1960;

3 -- number of local men (Mike Lukenda, Mike Perepelytz and Bill Taylor) who created the cross idea;

3 -- cars available as prizes at a monster bingo for the cross held at Memorial Gardens in 1958;

3.6-- million pennies was a goal of a fundraising campaign in 1995 to landscape the cross site;

15-- bulbs needed to light cross;

33 -- how many kilometres from which the lit cross is visible;

37 -the cross's height, in metres;

70 -per cent brighter lighting system was installed in 1995.