Community Volunteers Frame-up Holiday Show
From the day after Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve, Wildwood Park and Zoo is full of color and light as more than a million LED bulbs adorn trees, exhibits, and buildings to create Rotary Winter Wonderland.
For those who enjoy the holiday spirit, Rotary Winter Wonderland offers many opportunities to decorate trees, place ornaments, listen to Christmas carols, and most importantly, help people in need.
Volunteers are needed for the setup process that begins October 15, 2016 and continues every Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the park, until November 5th.
“It is crucial to have help on the four Saturdays of set-up because we’d like to get everything up and running before it starts to snow or get too cold,” said Danielle Nystrom, volunteer chair. “It’s also very important to get as much done as efficiently as possible so that we can change or troubleshoot before we open the day after Thanksgiving.”
Those who volunteer will help hang lights on trees, fences and railings.
“We usually start and one end of the park and work our way to the back,” said Nystrom. “It’s really rewarding to be able to go down to the Zoo at dusk on those Saturdays and see how far we get each week.”
During the exhibit, volunteers are needed to greet visitors, accept donations, and more. (Children are welcome to help, but those under age 12 must be accompanied by an adult.)
“This part of the project has become the easiest for us to recruit volunteers for,” said Nystrom, adding that nonprofits can earn funds for the organizations based on the number of hours they contribute, and businesses can also track their hours and donate them to a non-profit to help them reach a pay incentive.
When Winter Wonderland closes, help will be needed to take down lights and displays on January 7th and 14th.
“We serve a hot lunch for our volunteers on set-up and take-down days and provide refreshments for them on food collection night,” said Nystrom.
Now in its 11th year, the exhibit has provided more than 461,000 pieces of pantry items to 29 food pantries in Marshfield and the surrounding area. None of this would be possible without community support.
“This project is a great opportunity to give back to the community,” said Nystrom. “It is completely run by volunteers and without them, this project wouldn’t happen.”
To get involved or to request a presentation to a business or nonprofit group, contact Nystrom & Jenny King at [email protected] or by phone at 715-316-8009.
