Celebrating Austin Nonprofits with a Special Trail Experience

One of the most heartwarming holiday traditions is the Trail of Lights Foundation’s STARS at the Trail program. Kicking off this week and presented by Vista Equity Partners, the program gives approximately 1,600 children, families, seniors and veterans a very special and exclusive look at the Trail’s more than 1 million dazzling lights – before the event opens to the general public.

This week, we’re hosting 12 area nonprofit organizations for private tours of the Trail, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Austin Area, CASA of Travis County, Communities in Schools of Central Texas, the Council on At-Risk Youth (CARY), Creative Action, Down Syndrome Association of Central Texas (DSACT), Foundation Communities, GirlForward, KIPP Austin Public Schools, Mainspring Schools, The Rise School of Austin, and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Texas.

Providing special holiday experiences since 2013

Since 2013, STARS at the Trail has provided an opportunity for more than 3,000 school children, teens, families of varied socioeconomic backgrounds, youth in foster and adoptive care, WWII veterans, mentors and mentees, chronically ill patients and others with unique circumstances to create special holiday memories at the Trail of Lights. For some of these attendees, this trip to the Trail of Lights may be their only holiday experience.

Find out more

We’re also showcasing our Stars of the Trail organizations in a holiday blog post series to help Austinites get to know the nonprofits that are dedicated to serving Austin’s most deserving citizens. Look for a profile on the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Austin Area this week, and be sure to check back later this week and throughout the holiday for stories about other Austin nonprofits.

Don’t forget the 2017 Food Drive!

We’re looking forward to seeing you when the Trail of Lights officially opens on December 9th! Help the Trail feed Austin’s hungry by bringing cans of food with you to Zilker Park the night of the event. It’s the season for giving and, with your support, we want to collect more than 25,000 meals for the Central Texas Food Bank. Happy holidays – and we look forward to seeing you soon!