By Zach Jensen,
Helping Services for Youth and Families plans to help the Decorah area get into the spirit of the holidays during its annual Holiday Lights Walk Through Night.
This year’s event will be held from 5-7:30 p.m. Wednesday Nov. 27 at Pulpit Rock Campground in Decorah. Pokey Pete, local choirs, a live Nativity scene, Santa and a professional photographer will be available during the celebration, which kicks off Helping Services’ biggest fundraiser of the year.
“This event is critically important for our organization’s stability,” said Helping Services Director Carson Eggland. “We can’t thank the sponsors, businesses and organizations enough for their support.”
Also included for a free-will donation will be a variety of soups, hot cocoa, cookies and ice cream treats. Parking will be available near the soccer fields on Pulplit Rock Road, with shuttle services dropping visitors off at the front entrance. No cars will be allowed, but vehicles may park near the Twin Springs side of the campground and handicap parking available in both areas.
“I enjoy volunteering and giving back to the community,” said Bailey Sadler of FCSAmerica, which sends volunteers to help set up the displays at the campground every fall. FCSAmerica donates a specific dollar amount to Helping Services for every volunteer hour contributed. A total of 18 FCSAmerica staffers volunteered their time at this year’s Holiday Lights display, for which FCSAmerica donated $4,000 to Helping Services for Youth and Families.
Helping Services for Youth and Families has provided services to families in the area since 1973, and for the last 20 years, the Decorah-based organization has been dazzling Decorah with its Holiday Lights fundraiser. Holiday Lights was first held in 2005 with 38 displays, and in recent years, more than twice that number of displays have been created by local businesses and families.
Eggland said all the funds raised during the Holiday Lights event support Helping Service’s programs, including domestic abuse advocacy, in-home family education, prevention services and a youth mentoring program.
Eggland said the Holiday Lights event marks the beginning of the holiday season for him and his staff.
“It’s fun to see people get excited as they’re walking by,” he said. “It is a lot of work, but it’s really rewarding to see all the smiles it brings to people. It’s just a great tradition, and it really is a community event.”
Holiday Lights will return to a drive-through-only format rom 5-9 p.m. every night, Thanksgiving through Christmas night.
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