Thousands unite for Rotary Lights’ mission of sharing light and food
December 31, 2025
| By La Crosse Community Foundation |
Pat Stephens, founder and longtime president of Rotary Lights, stands among the glow of more than 3 million lights at Riverside Park in La Crosse. The annual display draws thousands of visitors and supports food pantries across the Coulee Region.
Each winter, the Rotary Lights display at Riverside Park in La Crosse, Wisconsin, draws diverse visitors from many states to experience more than 3 million lights, a 140-foot Christmas tree and a host of festive events — all free of admission. Its true brilliance, though, lies in what it makes possible: thousands of community members coming together to share light, hope, and food with neighbors who need it most.
At the heart of this massive community effort is longtime volunteer leader Pat Stephens, who has helped shape Rotary Lights since its first season in 1995 and continues to guide its operations and mission with quiet dedication.
How does Rotary Lights help build connections among the thousands of diverse people who visit, volunteer, and contribute each year?
Rotary Lights has become an icon for the greater La Crosse area. We estimate close to 130,000 folks visit us each year, from more than 28 states. For many families, visiting the lights has become a tradition — kids who came as little ones are now back with their own families. Beyond celebrating the holidays, most people believe in our cause of feeding the less fortunate.
When you add up our regular volunteers, the help we get from Rotary, and the 106 nonprofit organizations involved, that’s about 3,300 volunteers. It’s amazing — especially for a community our size — to see that level of participation. The community has really taken ownership of the project. People call it a “gotta-go-see” event. They know it does a lot of good, and they want to help. I’m not sure another community could do it quite the way we’re doing it. It’s pretty special.
Can you share an unexpected or surprising collaboration that revealed the power of working together?
One of the best things that has come out of my involvement with Rotary Lights is meeting and working with people I never would have gotten to know otherwise. There are so many good and talented people with multiple skills and big hearts — welders, carpenters, iron workers, painters, truck drivers, electricians, stockbrokers, bankers, and IT folks — all willing to donate their time. Many have been involved for 25–30 years. I find it heartwarming to see a 75-year-old volunteer working alongside someone in their late teens or early 20s. They learn from each other.
For 2025, we’ll have over 106 nonprofit organizations representing just over 3,300 volunteers. We might be the only organization that actually has to turn down some volunteer offers.
After 31 years, what motivates you to continue giving your time to this work?
We started Rotary Lights in 1995, and I don’t think any of us imagined it would become the community icon it is today. Over the years, I’ve been privileged to deliver food to families whose cupboards and refrigerators were bare. Seeing firsthand what a great help that is has been incredibly meaningful. Rotary Lights now supports 17 food pantries in the greater La Crosse area, and feeding neighbors in need remains one of our strongest motivations — not only for me, but for many of our volunteers.
With some food assistance programs being reduced, the need this year will be greater than ever. We’re working hard to get the word out and encourage people to be even more generous than in years past. Knowing I can make a difference — and seeing how our community comes together to help others — is what keeps me involved.
Reprinted with permission from the La Crosse Tribune.