The 20th Annual Ugly Sweater 5K
Join us and Northwestern Mutual on Saturday, December 5, 2026, for the 20th Annual Ugly Sweater 5K, an event filled with holiday cheer!
- Pre-Race Packet Pickup: Friday, December 5, from 4:00 - 5:45 p.m. at The Nature Place
- Packet Pickup & Same-Day Registration: 3:00 p.m. at The Nature Place
- Race Start: 4:15 p.m. from Myrick Park
Participants will run or walk along the beautifully lit La Crosse River Trails, finishing at Rotary Lights in Riverside Park. For those unable to attend in person, a virtual race option is also available.
The course is flat and fast, though Wisconsin weather always keeps things interesting, so dress accordingly! After the race, join us in the heated tent at Rotary Lights for hot chocolate, treats, and an awards ceremony. Trophies will be awarded to overall champions, and medals will be given to age-group winners.
ENTRY FEES
- Children (10 & under): Free with a non-perishable food item
- Ages 11–15: $15
- Ages 16+:
- $30 through Friday, November 27th
- $35 after Friday, November 27th
- $40 on race day
- Virtual Participants: $30
The Ugly Sweater 5K welcomes runners and walkers of all ages and abilities; it’s a family-friendly event that combines festive fun with a spirit of giving.
THE CAUSE
The Ugly Sweater 5k is proudly organized and run by the Rotary Club of La Crosse - After Hours (RAH) and a team of amazing volunteers. Proceeds from the event support RAH’s service projects locally and internationally, furthering our mission to make a positive impact in the world.
LOCAL SERVICE
RAH members volunteer regularly with Mobile Meals, Monday Meals on La Crosse’s north side, Highway Cleanup, and many other community initiatives. Each year, the club hosts its own “Shark Tank” event, where members pitch new service project ideas. The winning project receives up to $5,000 in club funds and may qualify for an additional $5,000 Rotary District Grant, providing up to $10,000 to make a local impact. Beyond funding, RAH members roll up their sleeves to help bring the project to life, whether that means building something new or working directly with those in need.
This year, RAH is supporting New Horizons’ “Shelter Safe Play Area,” a project that will provide a new swing set and a peaceful outdoor space for children staying at the domestic abuse shelter. The enhanced play area will offer a safe environment that promotes healing, comfort, and a sense of normalcy during a difficult time.
PAST PROJECTS
- 2025: Supported the Coulee Region Humane Society's Shade for Paws & People project, providing a shade shelter and seating area where volunteers, visitors, and their furry companions can comfortably gather and connect.
- 2024: Partnered with Gear Up to help first-generation college students start their academic journey with confidence by providing dorm and school essentials and sending care packages filled with encouragement throughout the year.
- 2023: Worked alongside community partners to build a new 16' x 42' greenhouse at Northside Elementary School in La Crosse, creating hands-on learning opportunities for students to explore gardening, nutrition, and sustainability.
- 2022: Teamed up with Sleep in Heavenly Peace to build more than 40 beds, helping ensure local children had a safe and comfortable place to sleep.
- Earlier Projects: Over the years, we've supported a variety of community initiatives, including building and maintaining eco-friendly recreation trails in Upper Hixon Forest and Zoerb Prairie, funding a van for The Good Fight youth program, providing backpacks and school supplies to students during the COVID-19 pandemic, and supporting the St. Clare Health Mission Rotary Mobile Clinic. Together, these efforts have helped strengthen and enrich communities across the Coulee Region.
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE
- 2025: Partnered with the Rotary Club of Valladolid Pueblo Mágico in Yucatán, Mexico, to fund and install 17 ecological stoves in the rural community of Zozidchén. The new stoves use less wood, reduce smoke, and make homes safer and healthier, especially for women and children. In February, RAH members visited Valladolid to see the impact firsthand and strengthen our ongoing partnership.
- 2018–2020: Partnered with local high school students to bring clean water to life, installing water filters that now provide safe drinking water to more than 3,000 children in the Yucatán region of Mexico.
- 2017: Proceeds from our Ugly Sweater 5K helped fund a women’s health initiative in Matagalpa, Nicaragua, focused on early detection and treatment of cervical cancer.
- 2016: Supplied materials for an English as a Second Language program in Potrerillos Arriba, Panama, helping students and teachers connect through the power of language.
- 2015: Built brighter futures in Tororo, Uganda, funding and completing three new classrooms at Patewo Primary School and providing bicycles, desks, textbooks, and supplies to benefit over 700 students and nine teachers.
HISTORY
Rotary Lights began in 1995 as a collaborative effort among local Rotary Clubs and nonprofit organizations to celebrate the holiday season while supporting area food banks. What started as a community initiative has evolved into the largest holiday light display in the Midwest, featuring over 3 million lights that illuminate Riverside Park, which overlooks the scenic Mississippi River.
Although admission is free, the hundreds of thousands of visitors who attend each year have generously donated millions of food items and hundreds of thousands of dollars to local charities, making Rotary Lights a true celebration of community giving.
In 2007, the River City Running Club introduced a festive way to enjoy the lights by organizing a race through the display. This event became known as the Rotary Lights Run, thanks to the dedication of numerous club volunteers. In 2013, the Rotary Club of La Crosse – After Hours took over hosting duties and reimagined the event as the Ugly Sweater 5K.
RACE RESULTS
2009 - 2010 - 2011 - 2012 - 2013 - 2014 - 2015 - 2016 - 2017 - 2018 - 2019 - 2020 - 2021 - 2022 - 2023 - 2024 - 2025 - 2026