MANKATO — The Maday family of Mankato just can’t get enough.
They volunteer constantly at Kiwanis Holiday Lights, which relies on scores of volunteers to pull off the beloved annual event in Sibley Park that runs this year from Nov. 28-Dec. 31. But the Madays stand out.
They don’t miss a day, including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. They do everything from manning the concessions stand to serving as “rangers,” which are the volunteers who oversee everything at the park.
“It’s really cool,” said Rebeckah Maday of volunteering over the holiday. “I feel like everyone who comes through the park is happy and excited for the most part. Things slow down. People seem to enjoy the park more.”
The family includes mom and dad Lori and Brad, daughter Rebeckah, 28, and son Connor, 24.
They’ve been volunteering with the event since its inception 13 years ago. Back then, Rebeckah was a Girl Scout who wanted to raise money for a coveted trip to Europe with her troop.
Lori found out her daughter could raise money by volunteering at Holiday Lights. And there you have it. The family got involved.
Over the course of two Kiwanis Holiday Lights seasons, Rebeckah raised enough for that European trip. She went in 2014 when she was in the 11th grade and visited Girl Scout World Centers in London and Switzerland. She said it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
During its first year in 2012, Kiwanis Holiday Lights raised $25,000 to donate back to myriad community nonprofits such as the Girl Scouts. But now that annual fundraising figure has grown to $100,000.
This year the event has been the recipient of two $10,000 donation checks. One was anonymous and the second was a year-end gift from local Mankato business Van Meter Inc.
“Two $10,000 donations, it’s very rare,” said Scott Wojcik, president of Kiwanis Holiday Lights. “It’s rare to see, but we started off fairly slow the first two weeks in traffic and donations. It’s now picking up. We can expect that around Christmastime with donations.”
Kiwanis Holiday Lights is nearing its $1 million fundraising mark since its start 13 years ago. And this year alone it will fund 71 area nonprofits.
People who visit the festive lights displays are asked for a donation of cash or non-perishable food for area shelves.
Volunteers such as the Madays are an important part of the overall operation, Wojcik said.
“It’s a cool feeling to see not only the donations coming in,” he said. “I like that. But to have families willing to put in their time and donate their efforts over the holiday season is great.”
For the Madays, volunteering at Kiwanis Holiday Lights on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is now a family tradition. They will celebrate their own family Christmas on Saturday.
“I call it a labor of love because we love doing it,” Brad said. “We go there year after year and we love seeing the smiles on people’s faces. It’s phenomenal.”
Connor said he enjoys his family’s history of volunteerism.
“I look forward to it,” he said. “It brings our family together. I would do it in a heartbeat.”
Lori admits the extensive volunteerism requires a break once the work concludes. On Jan. 2, the family will fly out for a vacation — a Caribbean cruise.
“We’ll get some rest after the season,” she said.
The Kiwanis Holiday Lights display at Sibley Park is open from 5-9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. More information is available at kiwanisholidaylights.com.