Last year, hundreds of people showed up to release Chinese lanterns at the first annual “Light Up the Night” event to raise funds for the Amanda the Panda organization, which primarily operates out of Des Moines. The idea for the event came from Dorothy Miller and her family, who two years ago lost their daughter Abby in a drowning accident. Miller said they were able to overcome their grief thanks to attending the Amanda the Panda camp – a program for families. On their way home, her then 8-year-old daughter told her they needed to give back to the organization. To that end, they decided to host the event with a fundraising goal of $5,000. They wound up raising over $10,000.

They’ve moved this year’s event to a bigger venue, the Iowa Mennonite School, as even more people are expected to attend on September 17th. Miller said there will be many of the same activities as last year, including tea time with Cinderella as a special tribute to Abby. The fundraising goal for this year’s event is $6,000, but Miller thinks they could once again blow it out of the water. She said, “With the wonderful support we’ve gotten from the community, it wouldn’t surprise me. Nothing surprises me anymore!” Amanda the Panda was started 36 years ago as a non-profit organization dedicated to helping families cope with grief.