A magical event is planned for Dec. 10 as the third annual Rainier Lantern Walk of Hope is set to take place at the Rainier High School gymnasium.
The event is organized by We Love Rainier Wa, Castle Realty Inc. and the Rainier Senior Center. The walk will feature a path in “the forest” as guests navigate the trail illuminating their way by holding lanterns that represent hope.
“Our guests bring a written list of experiences that were not very good for them this year,” organizer Veronica Brauer said. “When the walk is completed, a fire pit is located at the exit of the path so that list can be burnt. People can say goodbye to it and let go of those experiences while hoping for better things to come in 2023.”
This year’s event will run from 3 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10. The event is free to attend.
“This year, because of how unpredictable the weather in our beautiful Pacific Northwest can be, we are bringing the forest indoors, by creating a ‘Forest-like-scenery,’” Brauer said. “Many Christmas trees are being donated by members of the community. Some trees are also being borrowed for this purpose.”
Also new this year is live music as Elvis Wonderground is set to perform uplifting holiday melodies.
The event will also feature hot drinks like cocoa, apple cider, tea and Champurrado, which is a traditional holiday Mexican drink prepared by Brauer. There will also be cookies, two pinatas and some small business bingo cards that will provide the opportunity for people to win prizes while shopping during the holidays.
“There will be tables and chairs set up for families and friends to gather and have a wonderful time,” Brauer said. “There will also be a beautiful background for pictures.”
Brauer added that kids are welcome to wear non-scary costumes and adults can wear costumes as well.
The fire pit where the bad experiences are burnt will be symbolic since the event will be held indoors. The notes will instead be shredded this year.
“By doing this, people experience a sense of relief when disposing of that piece of paper,” Brauer said. “We know that we cannot change the past, but we also know that sometimes these kinds of activities make it a bit easier to cope with the pain and sadness that life brings at times.”
About 25 volunteers help make the event come to life. Planning takes about three months as community volunteers dedicate a lot of their time to ensure everything goes smoothly and with little stress.
“I believe love plays a big role in this,” Brauer said. “Without the volunteers, the magic and meaning of it all would not exist.”
Throughout the year, organizers have fundraisers, raffles, sales and collect donations from the community and local businesses. This has allowed the Walk of Hope to become a yearly tradition.
“This year, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend some festivals in town and collect donations while having a wonderful time painting little ones’ faces,” Brauer said. “Some friends call me ‘The Facepainting Realtor.’”
Brauer said the feedback from past iterations of the event have been inspiring and has made organizers keep the tradition going.
