Northern Lights Child Advocacy Center partners with Nicolet Bank to begin ’Light Up the Dark’ gift drive

MARQUETTE TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WLUC) - This holiday season the new Northern Lights Child Advocacy Center in Marquette Township has something special for children who are survivors of trauma.

The ‘Light Up the Dark’ gift drive is a partnership between Nicolet bank and Northern Lights Child Advocacy Center. There are Christmas trees and collection locations at the Escanaba, Ishpeming, Manistique and Marquette Nicolet bank locations.

There are wishes from the children hanging on the branches of the Christmas trees.

“On these ornaments, on the back, is a gift tag for one of our local kiddos and it has their age, their gender and then some ideas about what they want, and you can pick one thing from the list, or you can pick a couple,” said Northern Lights Child Advocacy Center Executive Director Sarah Zyburt.

Zyburt said once gifts are collected from generous donors, it will represent and prove how much this community cares about all children.

“For these kiddos, they are healing from the unthinkable so what we know is that they are now somewhere safe, and they are loved and we want to show that and as a community one of the ways that we can do that is by making sure that they have a happy Christmas,” said Zyburt.

Nicolet Bank’s Retail Regional Manager Tia Rodda said when Zyburt approached her about the event months ago it was something she had to say yes to.

“For us, it’s really who we are as a company and who we are as Nicolet is really serving our communities. So we like to do things that we can give back to our communities and what better way than to help the kids to have gifts for Christmas where they wouldn’t maybe otherwise,” Zyburt said.

The gift drive will be going on until Dec. 17. Zyburt said all donated gifts will be distributed to youth through her organization and the Delta Regional Child Advocacy Center.

If you’re interested in volunteering the following steps are:

1. Visit a participating Nicolet Bank branch (Escanaba, Ishpeming, Manistique and Marquette Nicolet bank locations.)

2. Select a gift list request tag from the Giving Tree.

3. Purchase the requested gifts on the tag.

4. Attach the gift tag provided/ or ID number to each gift.

5. Return the gifts to the same Nicolet Bank branch for drop-off.

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