GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — LMCU Ballpark's iconic annual drive-thru Christmas Lite Show had some special visitors Wednesday evening.
Hundreds of patients from Helen DeVos Children's Hospital were able to enjoy the show at a discounted rate alongside their families.
"This is really a special event for all of us at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital," said Dr. James Fahner, division chief emeritus for pediatric oncology at the hospital. "It's a chance to really bring kids and families together in a setting outside of the hospital, outside of the clinic. Leaving all those medical worries behind for a night."
Staff members were decked out in costumes and surprised the patients with goody bags.
"This is a very, very special night for all of our kids," said Fahner. However, he also explained what a special night it is for the staff.
"This is a special opportunity for (the staff) to really bond and to encourage and to hopefully inspire those kids and families who are on long and difficult medical journeys."
This year is the 26th of the annual show. It's over two miles long and features over 2 million lights. Owner Bill Schrader said he had the idea to start the show in 1996 and spent two years putting it together.
"The looks on kids faces is priceless," said Schrader. The kids visiting tonight though, he said brought tears to his eyes.
"This was one of the things that we really cherish doing," Schrader said. "It's a lot of fun, but you have a lot of satisfaction of saying you helped somebody."
The Christmas Lite Show will be open through New Year's Eve, this year featuring its longest tunnel ever. Schrader said the tunnel is 72 feet long, 26 feet high, 24 feet wide and took three days to put up.
"We keep growing every year," Schrader said, describing the show as a "labor of love."
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