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Christmas Display Sets Historic Mark

Posted on: Saturday, 14 January 2006, 18:00 CST

By Dawn Marks, The Daily Oklahoman

Jan. 14--BETHANY -- The Children's Center's Christmas Wonderland showed the biggest profit in its 14-year history, organizers said.

Event organizers announced this week that the display made a profit of $76,650 this season, which is $25,000 more than it made in 2004.

"We're very grateful to the Oklahoma City community, particularly since this came at a time when many charities were having difficulties due to the impact of natural disasters upon giving habits," project coordinator Heather Walter said.

In the last 14 years, Christmas Wonderland has raised more than $576,000 for the center, which provides inpatient and outpatient services for children with special needs.

The center might have raised even more this season if organizers hadn't had to close the display for five nights because of weather, Walter said.

In 2004, weather closed the display for two nights, she said.

From Thanksgiving to Christmas, about 8,220 cars toured the display, which included live costumed characters, lighted display and 10 miles of lights strung in trees.

"It's free to drive through. Most of the time people give a donation," Walter said.

Besides donations, organizers take pictures of children with Santa to earn money.

The past two seasons, proceeds have gone toward buying equipment for the Pediatric Medical Rehabilitation Unit, now under construction. Fund raising for construction of the $4 million, 10-bed wing is finished, but center administrators need $1 million for equipment.

More than 1,500 volunteers worked to assemble and dismantle the display and staff it in the evenings.

"We really have a great cross section of the community," Walter said. "People's hearts, the volunteer groups, are really in this."

Mild weather helped volunteers put the display together this fall, Walter said. Volunteers work weekends in September, October and November preparing displays and then putting them up.

"We don't pull out the displays until the first week in October," she said. "Timing is pretty important."

Volunteers took down most of the display the day after Christmas and Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co. employees took down the remainder of the lights Jan. 5.

Organizers already are thinking about next year, Walter said, which will be the 15th year. In addition to the Toyland and Victorian Village displays, volunteers will construct a Bethlehem, she said.

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Source: The Daily Oklahoman

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