Forward Janesville - TheReport - First Quarter 2021

During the 2020 holiday season, Forward Janesville, along with Premiere Sponsor Alliant Energy, hosted its first ever Holiday Lights Contest titled “Let It Glow, Let It Glow, Let It Glow.” The purpose of this event was to inspire goodwill, holiday spirit, and peace to end a year that could use a little extra light and cheer. Participants—28 in all—entered their unique and festive holiday designs to be judged by six local judges from a wide range of backgrounds, including an executive director, a journalist and a local family seeking a new holiday tradition to spark joy and celebration. Each judge brought their own unique perspective, and collectively they ranked and awarded three top prizewinners and three honorable mentions. While the judging was difficult and everyone deserved recognition, handing out the prizes was invigorating and uplifting. A unique component to our Holiday Lights Contest was the non-profit gift match. Winners were able to choose a member non-profit to share their winnings. It was a win-win for the contestants and a great way to promote goodwill and support those local services that most need funding. 20 • W W W . F O R W A R D J A N E S V I L L E . C O M 1st Place : Campbell Family , located at 412 Grove Street. Their miniature Rotary Garden display lit up their neighborhood and beckoned those passing by to walk through the arches and take photos. Their non-profit match was Project 16:49. 2nd Place : Krueger Family , located at 2030 Alexandria. When we say you could see this display from Mars, we were not kidding. It was awe-inspiring. Their non-profit match was The Salvation Army of Rock County. 3rd place : Olson Family located at 905 N. Pontiac Drive demonstrated that the beloved Ralphie and his family have a special place in our hearts forever. Their replication of scenes from the famed movie A Christmas Story coupled with vignettes from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation were fun for all ages. Their non-profit match was Humane Society of Southern Wisconsin. Thank you to our Premiere Sponsor A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR AWARD SPONSORS WINNERS HONORABLE MENTION Striegel Family located at 3767 Stone Ridge Drive Non-profit match: Humane Society of Southern Wisconsin Jacobson Family located at 1427 Saint George Lane Non-profit match: ECHO, Inc. Schultz Family located at 132 Jefferson Non-profit match: GIFTS Men's Shelter