Together with a team of friends, neighbors and volunteers, a Benson family is planning one night of wonder to spread Christmas cheer to the community and holiday hope to families with children impacted by cancer.
The Third Annual Kartchner Wonderland will feature a magical night of holiday lights and decorations, hayrides, visits with Santa, food vendors, music and fun from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, in the neighborhood at 1004 S. Throne Room St. in Benson.
Spearheaded by Rochelle Sackett, the free event originated during the pandemic.
โEveryone was stuck in their houses and not working and depressed and Winterhaven had shut down, and we had lots of houses that decorated, so I said, โLetโs do a Winterhaven in our neighborhood.โ We were trying to bring the community together because of COVID and it just brought so much joy and cheer to everyone. They couldnโt stop talking about how wonderful it was,โ Sackett said.
She credits support from friends, neighbors and family with growing the event. Her husband, Richard provides hands-on assistance, along with her son, Julian Herrera, and stepdaughter, Kaydence Sackett.
The event has also attracted support from local vendors and the city, which sponsors a decorating contest for the homes with $500 in cash prizes; the entire neighborhood offers use of their yards and electricity for the evening. Last year the event adopted a nonprofit cause: โOur Amazing Owen โ The Giving Trainโ in honor of Owen Taillie, Chase Manzo and Aidan Troy Martell-Santoyo, all children who lost their battles with cancer.
โWe are a really close-knit community that cares about each other. We have lost a lot of kids to cancer in this community and this event is dedicated to them,โ Sackett said.
โOur Amazing Owenโ is grateful for the emotional and financial support, according to Rachael Taillie. She founded the organization with her husband, Frank, after their son, Owen, succumbed to an aggressive form of brain cancer in June 2019.
Though they are residents of Sierra Vista, Taillie said that her husband has driven a UPS route in Benson and surrounding areas for more than a decade.
โPeople in Benson have really adopted our family and organization. They have been so generous. When we went through our journey with cancer treatments and the loss of Owen, they rallied behind us. We became honorary โBensonans,โ โ Taillie said.
โOur Amazing Owenโ will use funds collected at the event to provide comfort kits in the hospital for parents and/or caretakers of children diagnosed with cancer. Comfort kits contain an air mattress with an electric pump, sheets, pillowcase, matching throw, toiletries, gas cards, food vouchers and other resources to make hospital stays more comfortable. The nonprofit gifts about 40 comfort kits each year at Banner-Diamond Childrenโs Medical Center in Tucson.
โIt helps with the transition when you are suddenly thrust into the world of pediatric cancer. It gives you a base and foundation and we found that was a huge support for us,โ Taillie said.
Ultimately, Taillie is grateful for support from events such as the Kartchner Wonderland, which offers a gift to the community while honoring the legacy of children who have battled cancer. She and her family are excited to man an information table about โOur Amazing Owenโ at the event.
โAs a parent, all you want is for your child to be remembered. You want their time here to leave some kind of impact, and it makes a world of difference to know they havenโt been forgotten. Events like this are also a good way to manage our own grief, especially during the holidays,โ Taillie said.
Tucsonans have been checking out the lights of Winterhaven for many years now. The festival runs from 6-10 p.m. daily, Dec. 9-25. There are no drive-thru nights this year.
