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Jolly Holiday Lights is a family tradition for some and a dream come true for others. For over 20 years people have gathered together to gaze at the bright Christmas cheer viewing over one hundred different light displays. This year the family tradition is bigger, brighter, and busier than ever!

Jolly Holiday Lights called Des Moines Water Works home for the last 20 years, but 13 days into the event last year, it was flooded, which caused the event to shut down early. While it was disappointing to every one Make-A-Wish started a campaign called #BringtheJolly to make the lost profit.

Make-A-Wish decided it was a prime opportunity for change. That is when campground space at the Adventureland in Altoona was brought to their attention. The Krance Family was gracious enough to offer their space for the non-profit’s use. In an interview with Marketing and Communications manager, Casady Britton, she explained that the new location is home to a campground has 110 RV sites and 200 tent sites providing easy access for outlets and a paved pathway for the light display. The nonprofit is using the change in location as a chance to improve and rebrand. This year Jolly Holiday Lights has a fresh logo and brand. They have created new materials from the changed logo, posters and verbiage as to how they are communicating the event.

“I would say it is now on steroids. The lights are all LED, there are more displays and a new wish shop.” Britton said.

Britton explained that Make-A-Wish has have been working with performance marketing to place certain radio and television ads to promote the new location. Make-A-Wish believes they will draw a different crowd being in Altoona instead of Des Moines.

A little known fact is that Jolly Holiday Lights is Make-A-Wish foundation’s largest fundraiser for the entire year. Make-A-Wish grants wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. In the United States and its territories, Make-A-Wish grants a wish to a child every 35 minutes. Make-A-Wish has been brightening kid’s lives and granting wishes to children for the past 36 years. Make-A-Wish Iowa has granted over 3,000 wishes in Iowa alone. Last year, Make-A-Wish Iowa granted 192 wishes, which comes out to around one wish every other day. To this date, over 700 of those wishes in Iowa were made possible because of Jolly Holiday Lights itself.

Britton has spent the last six months helping plan Jolly Holiday Lights. She handles all of the media, social media and marketing but also conquers many other duties when needed. When she is not organizing Jolly Holiday Lights at Make-A-Wish, she is helping make children’s wishes come true. Britton touches every area whether that is the development side or the wish side. One day she could be helping coordinate a gala, golf outing or walk fundraiser, and the next day she could be meeting the family of a wish recipient to learn the family story for the newsletter so that she can later tell that child’s story.

Britton was born and raised in Des Moines, and she is the fourth generation in her family to attend Grand View University. She graduated from Grand View University in 2010 with a degree in Public Relations and Mass Communications. While she worked at a few different places after college her heart has always been set on non-profit work. She enjoys how rewarding it is; knowing that what she is doing is for a reason.

Mikayla Reitgraf is a recipient of Make-A-Wish Iowa. She was diagnosed with stage IV Ewing’s Sarcoma when she was 8 years old. The cancer was primarily located in her hip and doctor’s told her family was told that it was inoperable. She had a 20% survival rate. She went through chemotherapy treatments for one year, spending over 80 days in the hospital. After each of her treatments she received units of blood and platelets, which helped her to survive.  When she was 10 years old she was granted a wish of her own. She wished to go to Disney and thanks to Make-A-Wish she was able to travel to Florida. Today, she speaks of how grateful she is for the amazing experience she was given during a difficult time in her life.

“It’s so awesome for all they do to give kids a chance to have fun instead of deal with the crappy things for awhile,” Reitgraf said.

Reitgraf also has attended Jolly Holiday Lights in the past and loved it.

“It was really awesome to go and think that people put so much time into those incredible light things just so kids that have a hard things in their life get to have a wish” Reitgraf said.

She is now 16 years old and in remission. Reitgraf is just one of many examples of children who have benefitted positively from Make-A-Wish and Jolly Holiday Lights.

“You see the outcome daily, which is why I chose that arena,” Britton said.

Britton said she is excited for the 21st year of Jolly Holiday Lights because it is still the same lights, charity and cheer just new and improved.

Britton’s favorite part about the lights this year is the psychedelic tunnel,“It is nothing shy of amazing!” said Britton

This year, you could get a sneak preview of the light display before it officially opened to the public at Tour De Lights. This allowed people to walk, run, skate or bike the mile and a half route through the displays. The family night was held on November 19. There was also a fitness night on November 20 which included an optional 12-mile bike route.

The lights are now up, and Make-A-Wish Iowa officially opened the Jolly Holiday Lights on November 22 with hopes to stay open for a total of 41 days. The lights will come to a close for the season on January 1st .  The tickets are $10 throughout the season, but each Monday during the light display, tickets are only $5.

As the lights power on each night for the season in Altoona, be sure to remember the lights are brightening a child’s future as well.