KIWANIS HOLIDAY LIGHTS ANNOUNCES IT WILL BE DONATING A RECORD $110,000 TO 71 AREA NONPROFITSAND ANNOUNCES 2025 EVENT STATISTICS

The Kiwanis Holiday Lights Board of Directors has approved $110,000 in donations to the seventy-one area non-profits that assisted this past year. “All though we started off slow this year with some bad weather, the generosity of an anonymous donor allowed us to set a record in giving.” said Scott Wojcik, Kiwanis Holiday Lights President. “We are already looking forward to year fourteen with more lights,  displays, and hopefully more donations.”

Additional statistics include:

• Over 160,000 people attended the free event in 2025.
  

• The event remains completely volunteer driven.
  

• All set-up was completed over 10 days during the five weekends prior to opening.
  

• All tear-down was completed in two and half days in early January.
  

• $110,000 will be donated back to the non-profit groups that assisted with set-up, tear-down and evening volunteer help during the event.
  

• Seventy-one non-profit groups participated, providing 11,000 volunteer hours with 2,500 volunteers participating.
  

• For the thirteenth year, visitors were encouraged to vote on their favorite non-profit tree this year. Winners were:

  • 1^st place – LEEP - $300 prize.

  • 2^nd Place – Lifeworks Services- $200 prize

  • 3^rd Place – MAYBA - $100 prize
    

• Over 2,500 children visited Santa, and each received a Kiwanis Holiday Lights coloring book.
  

• 63 Greater Mankato businesses participated as cash sponsors and 30 Businesses were in-kind sponsors, showing continued support for the annual event.
  

• 9.2 tons of food was collected for twenty-two area food shelves.
  

• The opening night parade was presented by Wahpekute Lodge- Order of the Arrow.

  • The winner of the float contest was Mayflower Kato Moving and Storage
    

• Over two million energy-efficient LED lights glowed brightly throughout the event.
  

• Forty-five area restaurants donated food to help feed the volunteers during the event, as well as during set-up and tear-down.
  

• The opening parade and lighting ceremony for the 2026 Kiwanis Holiday Lights season will be November 27^th, 2026.