Posted 10:32 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2014
For 20 years UW-L alumni and students have helped light up La Crosse for the holiday season. This year 28 UW-L groups are volunteering at Rotary Lights, an annual light display at Riverside Park founded by area Rotary clubs. They join 3,000 total volunteers from 110 organizations.
Take an overhead tour of Rotary Lights 2013
From left are members of Delta Sigma Phi Graham Dumke and Charles Terch. Here they are preparing for a round of night security at the park.[/caption]
The UW-L fraternity Delta Sigma Phi provided overnight security at the inaugural Rotary Lights in 1995. Back then members endured bitter cold nights in a small hut with a run-down furnace, recalls Pat Stephens, ’71, an alum of the fraternity and president of Rotary Lights.
The gig is a bit more luxurious today than the early days, notes UW-L student and current president of Delta Sigma Phi Charles Terch. They spend the night in a heated trailer with Internet and cable TV. Yet, the tradition is just as strong as it was 20 years ago. The group collectively spends eight hours a night for 55 nights over the course of Rotary Lights. It’s a commitment that’s paid off.
“We are going on 20 years and we’ve had no theft or vandalism in the park,” says Stephens.
Part of reason the fraternity’s Rotary Lights tradition has continued each year is because of Stephens who remains closely connected to the fraternity, says Terch. Stephens has also been president of Rotary Lights since it started.
“This is an opportunity to volunteer and give back to the community, which is a big part of what our organization is about,” says Terch. “When we can do that and also help one of our alumni who is constantly giving back to the fraternity, that’s a plus.”
Stephens is proud of the large volunteer turnout from his alma mater. The annual event couldn’t happen without the volunteers, he says.
“There’s nothing else like this when it comes to community involvement,” says Stephens. “It’s really something special.”
Volunteers work at the Lighthouse, the Rotary Lights building at 27 Market St. in La Crosse. From left are: Leo Chaput, retired boilermaker; Pat Stephens, ’71; Danielle Williams, ’05, of Riverfront Inc.; and Darcie Marks, of Riverfront Inc. Organizations that assist with Rotary Lights get a tree in the park, recognition in the program and a small financial gift ranging from $150-800.[/caption]
The annual event has grown every year from about six displays the first year to more than 40 today. Also, every year more people attend, bringing more donations for the hungry. In the early years Rotary Lights was collecting about 30,000 food items annually. Today it collects about 250,000 on average a year, says Stephens. This year the food donation will go to 11 food pantries and food shelves in the area.
There’s no shortage of heartwarming memories from the 20 years of Rotary Lights either, says Stephens. He recalls one season when someone called the park to share the story of a single mother and her three children who had nothing — bare kitchen shelves, an empty refrigerator and no presents for Christmas. Volunteers packed up a truckload of food, gift certificates and other items after an evening of Rotary Lights collections. They hauled it to the family’s home and unloaded, recalls Stephens.
“We walked in and there is the mother with her three kids,” says Stephens. “You see the need and the difference you can make, and it makes it all worthwhile. Just thinking about it today gets me a little choked up.”
The tourism TV and radio show “Discover Wisconsin” will film this year’s Rotary Lights for a feature story in fall 2015. In addition to showing the park in all of its colorful glory, the show will also highlight the volunteers who make it possible and the goal of collecting food for the hungry.
Rotary Lights volunteers build all of the displays at the event. With help from carpenters, welders, steamfitters, electricians and other community volunteer talent, the organization can build instead of purchase displays, which generates tremendous savings, says Stephens. The fire breathing dragon — a popular attraction at Rotary Lights — cost $28,000 in a catalogue. Volunteers were able to build it for $1,200.
Rotary Lights has helped 12 other communities start similar lighting projects. Rotary Lights only assists non-profit organizations who make it their mission to feed the hungry with profits from the light display, notes Stephens.
Alums, students help with annual mission to feed the hungry
For 20 years UW-L alumni and students have helped light up La Crosse for the holiday season. This year 28 UW-L groups are volunteering at Rotary Lights, an annual light display at Riverside Park founded by area Rotary clubs. They join 3,000 total volunteers from 110 organizations. UW-L’s volunteers range from campus Vangaurds to Women’s basketball to fraternities and sororities. They hang lights, create displays and provide overnight security at the event that attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators each year. Their work supports the larger mission of Rotary Lights — providing food for the hungry. So far the event has collected more than 2.6 million food items to donate to area food pantries and food shelves. Rotary Lights is open starting the day after Thanksgiving through 1 a.m. Jan. 1. This year’s display will feature 41 animated displays.Keeping watch
[caption id="attachment_4622" align="alignright" width="350"] From left are members of Delta Sigma Phi Graham Dumke and Charles Terch. Here they are preparing for a round of night security at the park.[/caption]
The UW-L fraternity Delta Sigma Phi provided overnight security at the inaugural Rotary Lights in 1995. Back then members endured bitter cold nights in a small hut with a run-down furnace, recalls Pat Stephens, ’71, an alum of the fraternity and president of Rotary Lights.
The gig is a bit more luxurious today than the early days, notes UW-L student and current president of Delta Sigma Phi Charles Terch. They spend the night in a heated trailer with Internet and cable TV. Yet, the tradition is just as strong as it was 20 years ago. The group collectively spends eight hours a night for 55 nights over the course of Rotary Lights. It’s a commitment that’s paid off.
“We are going on 20 years and we’ve had no theft or vandalism in the park,” says Stephens.
Part of reason the fraternity’s Rotary Lights tradition has continued each year is because of Stephens who remains closely connected to the fraternity, says Terch. Stephens has also been president of Rotary Lights since it started.
“This is an opportunity to volunteer and give back to the community, which is a big part of what our organization is about,” says Terch. “When we can do that and also help one of our alumni who is constantly giving back to the fraternity, that’s a plus.”
Stephens is proud of the large volunteer turnout from his alma mater. The annual event couldn’t happen without the volunteers, he says.
“There’s nothing else like this when it comes to community involvement,” says Stephens. “It’s really something special.”
Rotary Lights grows
[caption id="attachment_4623" align="alignright" width="700"] Volunteers work at the Lighthouse, the Rotary Lights building at 27 Market St. in La Crosse. From left are: Leo Chaput, retired boilermaker; Pat Stephens, ’71; Danielle Williams, ’05, of Riverfront Inc.; and Darcie Marks, of Riverfront Inc. Organizations that assist with Rotary Lights get a tree in the park, recognition in the program and a small financial gift ranging from $150-800.[/caption]
The annual event has grown every year from about six displays the first year to more than 40 today. Also, every year more people attend, bringing more donations for the hungry. In the early years Rotary Lights was collecting about 30,000 food items annually. Today it collects about 250,000 on average a year, says Stephens. This year the food donation will go to 11 food pantries and food shelves in the area.
There’s no shortage of heartwarming memories from the 20 years of Rotary Lights either, says Stephens. He recalls one season when someone called the park to share the story of a single mother and her three children who had nothing — bare kitchen shelves, an empty refrigerator and no presents for Christmas. Volunteers packed up a truckload of food, gift certificates and other items after an evening of Rotary Lights collections. They hauled it to the family’s home and unloaded, recalls Stephens.
“We walked in and there is the mother with her three kids,” says Stephens. “You see the need and the difference you can make, and it makes it all worthwhile. Just thinking about it today gets me a little choked up.”
To be broadcast soon — statewide
The tourism TV and radio show “Discover Wisconsin” will film this year’s Rotary Lights for a feature story in fall 2015. In addition to showing the park in all of its colorful glory, the show will also highlight the volunteers who make it possible and the goal of collecting food for the hungry.
Rotary Lights volunteers build all of the displays at the event. With help from carpenters, welders, steamfitters, electricians and other community volunteer talent, the organization can build instead of purchase displays, which generates tremendous savings, says Stephens. The fire breathing dragon — a popular attraction at Rotary Lights — cost $28,000 in a catalogue. Volunteers were able to build it for $1,200.
Rotary Lights has helped 12 other communities start similar lighting projects. Rotary Lights only assists non-profit organizations who make it their mission to feed the hungry with profits from the light display, notes Stephens.