Here is the transcribed audio from KEYC-TV’s recent news story:
The Kiwanis Holiday Lights has become a tradition of holiday cheer for those across Southern Minnesota. And Scott Wojcik has been the man behind the holiday magic from the beginning. “This is year six but if you look at it, it’s year eight because it took two years of planning to get us to this point. So it’s six years of being open but eight years of hard dedicated work,” Wojcik says. Dedicated volunteer work that Wojcik says can be quite a commitment. “I spend quite a bit of hours down here,” he says. But after those countless hours to help set up outside, Wojcik says he’s left with nothing but warm feelings on the inside. “You take a step back and you see the looks on people’s faces and how much fun they’re having down here and it makes it worth it for the amount of time we as a group put into it,” he says.
Since opening back in 2011, the holiday light display has become a bridge to making an even greater impact in the community. “To see how it impacts not only people that come down here but the nonprofit groups we give back to and the food shelves and how they take all of those donations and make the community a better place,” Wojcik says. But Wojcik says his time dedicated to volunteering isn’t just for the holidays. “It’s not only the Kiwanis Holiday Lights, I volunteer all over town whether its MAYBA or Miracle League in North Mankato I’m involved in a lot of other stuff as well,” he says. Because for Wojcik giving back is simply part of making yourself at home. “Getting that sense that you belong is one thing but when you volunteer and when you give back you truly feel that this is your home and it’s a neat feeling to know that the impact you make on a community when you volunteer as much as we do,” Wojcik says.