Iowa BIG students plan parade of lights in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) -High school students in Cedar Rapids are working with three neighborhood associations to offer something new this holiday season. Students with Iowa BIG are planning a parade of lights for the public to enjoy.

It hasn’t been easy getting the word out.

”Yeah that was a big like is this going to work,” said Kiyaree Cooper, an Iowa BIG student.

She is part of the team of five students working hard to create something special.

”They decided to kind of create something kind of like the parade of homes but instead of it just being like touring homes they decided let’s do it with Christmas lights,” explained Mark Matson, an Iowa BIG teacher.

This week people in the Wellington Heights, Bever Park and Oak Hill Jackson neighborhoods can submit their holiday displays to the parade of lights. The students will add them to a map. Then, beginning December 19th ,the map will go live for the public to do self guided tours and vote for their favorite.

Winners will get a $150 Visa gift card.

”Two houses can win and then an apartment can win as well,” said Aiyana Moeller, an Iowa BIG student.

The project has been a collaboration for the students who come from different schools.

”We have a couple students from Wash, we have a couple students from Jefferson, we have one from Prairie. It’s just really fun to watch kids from I guess you could say competing schools work together on a community project,” Matson said.

”I would have never met these people and now they’re like my best friends,” added Cooper.

Students want the community to make memories and have fun as they enjoy the displays.

”It’s amazing that like students like me and the rest of our group can create something so special in Cedar Rapids,” said Moeller.

It’s a tradition they hope will carry on for years to come, calling this the “first annual” parade of lights.

Students created a QR code for people to enter their homes in the parade of lights:

A new QR code will go out on December 19th and the public can vote on the displays until January 1st.

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