Press Release

For Immediate Release

2014/10/31

Heartspring partners with KWCH 12 and WaterWalk to host new downtown holiday events

WICHITA, Kan. – Heartspring will help host Lights at WaterWalk and the KWCH 12 Christmas Parade on Saturday, December 6, 2014 in addition to their annual Lights on the Lake Party to help support Heartspring Pediatric Services’ financial assistance program.

After last year’s winter storm caused the 10th annual light tour to end abruptly, Heartspring re-evaluated the Lights on the Lake Light Tour. After analyzing the situation, Heartspring decided there was no guarantee that the tour would be able to withstand weather in the future and with the record-breaking attendance they saw prior to the closing, the influx in cars and traffic was presenting a safety concern for Heartspring’s student residents.

“We had an overwhelming amount of support from the community at the 10th annual light tour last year. We could not be more grateful, but the amount of traffic we saw from the tour presented issues for our staff and our students who live on campus,” Heartspring Director of Marketing Dusty Buell said. “It became difficult for our vehicles to access the campus in a timely manner, creating a major concern for us as many of our students have special needs that make it difficult to withstand prolonged time in the vehicles. Our priority will always be to do what is best for the kids at Heartspring, and at this time, it means moving the light tour.”

Last year’s winter storm also ended the light tour early, causing more concern for continuing the event on campus.

Heartspring will be placing their light displays Downtown at WaterWalk from Thanksgiving Day until after Christmas for the community to enjoy and will host ‘Lights at WaterWalk’ on Saturday, December 6. Activities will include food trucks, the KWCH 12 Christmas Parade, photos with Santa, hayrack rides, s’mores and face painting.

More than 900 local children receive therapies at Heartspring each year. Most of these children require multiple therapies ranging from speech, physical, occupational and Applied Behavior Analysis to audiology services, including cochlear implant mapping. Heartspring is a worldwide center for children with special needs. Our residential school, outpatient pediatric services, and the Community of Autism Resources and Education (CARE) Program aim to help children of all ages succeed by gaining the skills necessary for a more independent lifestyle. For more information, please visit www.heartspring.org or contact marketing@heartspring.org.