The citizens of Sweetwater, Texas, were honored by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty after fighting to keep a Nativity scene at their county courthouse following complaints from a resident.

The legal advocacy nonprofit offered their “Tiny Tim Toast,” meant to honor those who “inspired hope during the holiday season,” to a group of several dozen Sweetwater citizens who worked to keep the Nativity scene at the Nolan County Courthouse even after a letter in a local newspaper called for the removal of the display. The citizens filled meetings of the county commissioners and “defended the Nativity scene’s rightful place in Sweetwater’s public square.”

“When the humbug spirit tried to snuff out Sweetwater’s cherished Nativity scene, the locals stood their ground with unshakable resolve,” Becket president and chief executive Mark Rienzi remarked in a statement. “God bless them for the courage they showed in the face of adversity.”

Even as the letter in the newspaper complained that a religious display outside of a government building violated the law, the citizens who defended the display were ultimately successful.

Rienzi commented that there are always “some bureaucrats and activists who seek to shut out the lights on religious displays and expression” every holiday season, meaning that Becket intentionally seeks to “raise a hearty toast to all those who stood firm against these efforts.”

The recognition of the citizens comes one year after Becket presented their “Ebenezer Award,” named for the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge featured in the Charles Dickens novel rather than sickly but cheerful Tiny Tim, to none other than California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, who decided to cancel an annual California tree lighting and instead hold the ceremony online.

Newsom ultimately filmed a pre-recorded virtual ceremony and streamed the event on his social media channels, according to a press release from his office, and claimed that the annual tradition dating back nearly a century needed to be held online because of protests over the war between Israel and Gaza. The official also skipped the yearly Hanukkah menorah lighting last year.

“We hope the Governor’s heart will grow three sizes next year, so that Californians can once again celebrate their annual holidays with joy,” Rienzi commented in a statement at the time.