RWD27 Ben Krouse-Gagne - Helping Services Holiday Lights!

Rhymes With Decorah

(If you missed one of our earliest episodes - #5, click here to hear Helping Services Director – Carson Egglang!)

Ben Krouse-Gagne is the Director of Community Engagement with Helping Services, and as part of that work also helps coordinate all of the efforts that equal the annual Holiday Lights! Located at Decorah’s Pulpit Rock Campground, the drive-through show features over 80 displays nightly from Thanksgiving to Christmas night.

Holiday lights is one of the largest fundraising events to support the work of Helping Services, who provide resources to the 8 county area of NE Iowa. Since 1973, the organization has providedd everything from substance and drug use prevention, domestic abuse resources, opportunities for new parents, youth mentoring programs, and much more.

Through the past 18 years, Holiday lights has engaged the region with a special opportunities to help usher in the Holidays. Each year on the night before Thanksgiving, the campground is open to walking traffic only, and also features special entertainment, soup, cookies, hot cocoa, and more. As part of Holiday Lights there is also an annual fireworks show (Friday, Dec. 9 at 6:30pm in 2022!) that takes place near the Decorah High School football stadium. The lights are then open every night from Thanksgiving to Christmas for drive through from 5pm-9pm.

Over 400 volunteers each year help make this community effort come to life in support of Helping Services. Find out more on today’s show – and find out more at www.helpingservices.org or 563-387-1720 for more details!

"Rhymes With Decorah" is a companion project of Inspire(d) Media.

Original music heard in this podcast performed and recorded by Nick Zielinski of Decorah. Find him on Instagram @indicative_of_drumming