2.6 million lights illuminate La Crosse

What can 3,000 volunteers accomplish in four weeks? Hang 2.6 million lights to create the largest light show in the Midwest at La Crosse's 15th annual Riverside Park Rotary Lights.

The La Crosse Rotary Lights is a 100 percent volunteer-operated non-profit organization. The Rotary Lights display created in La Crosse is free to the public to drive or walk through open from the day after Thanksgiving to New Year's Eve from 5 to 10 p.m. 

Pat Stephens, president of Rotary Lights, said the park usually sees nearly 200,000 visitors each year. In 2007, the park tallied visitors from 32 different states. Stephens remembered seeing a license plate from Hawaii and recognizing that La Crosse Rotary Lights was making an impact.

This year's new light displays include a U.S. coastguard emblem, a water shooting elephant, and a new trolley car, said Stephens.

Twenty-five nights of entertainment will also occur at the Rotary Lights this year, including school and church group musical performances or Christmas parties in the heated tent. 

On Dec. 12, community members are invited to participate in Breakfast with Santa from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Rotary Lights heated tent put on by volunteers at Hillside Animal Shelter.        

The Rotary Light's main goal is to "feed the hungry in the Coulee Region," said Stephens. Rotary Lights is free to the public, but does take food and money donations from visitors to benefit local food pantries in Holmen, Onalaska, Caledonia, La Crescent, and La Crosse. Specific pantries in La Crosse including the Place of Grace and Angels Horizon, benefit from food donations, Stephens said.

During the first year of Rotary Lights in 1995, over 13,000 food items were collected with the help of visitor donations. In 2008, 204,000 food items were collected, bringing the grand total amount of food collected during the 15 years of running to 1.4 million food items.

Rotary Lights is funded completely on donation from visitors and local support from community businesses, Stephens said. Rotary Lights is also responsible for paying for the electricity generated keeping 2.6 million lights lit for five hours a night with the help of donations.

Stephens said Rotary Lights is possible from the support coming from the local community. "Our community is full of philanthropic intent," Stephens said. From volunteers to help decorate to visitors bringing in donations, the light show would not be possible without the help of the community. 

Eight other light displays have been started in the midwest since the success of Rotary Lights of La Crosse, Stephens said.

The Viterbo Student Nurses Association (VSNA) helped decorate Rotary Lights this year. Cari Loomis, sophomore nursing major from Chippewa Falls, Wis., is the public relations officer of VSNA and helped with decorating. 

"VSNA focuses on community service and fundraising for organizations," Loomis said. "It was great decorating at Rotary Lights to help spread joy during the holiday season."

Stephens said the Rotary Lights have been successful for the last fifteen years because of the great generosity of the La Crosse community. 

Stephens has been the president of the organization ever since it was proposed by the Rotary Club president in 1994 after seeing a light show in Oklahoma and thinking La Crosse would benefit from one. Stephens joked with a smile on his face, "I raised my hand at the wrong time and have been president ever since."    

Rotary Lights is something Stephens feels privileged to be a part of. "I truly do love the La Crosse community and I am always at my best when I am doing things for others," he said. "Rotary Lights gives me the opportunity to give back to my community."