'Luke's Lights' Event to Honor Life of Newton South Grad, Help Communities in Need

It's something many of us take for granted every day, but reliable, clean electricity is a luxury in some third world countries.

As a way to spread light around the world and honor the life of Newton South graduate Lucas Voss-Kernan, the Luke's Lights foundation raises money to send LED lights to communities without electricity.

This Friday, Luke's Lights will hold a fundraising event and celebration at the Newton Highlands Congregational Church. The evening includes a family dinner, dancing and music. 

Tickets for Friday's event are $20 for adults and $10 for kids under 13. The $20 ticket fee will purchase two LED lights that will be sent to communities in need. 

Luke's Lights was started earlier this year in the memory of the 2010 Newton South graduate, who tragically died in May 2012 while on a cross-country trip with friends. Luke, just 19, passed away after accidentally falling from a structure he had been climbing on.

"His ability to see the light inside everyone defined who he was and how he lived in the world," Luke's mother Gisela Voss told Patch in an interview earlier this year. 

Through a partnership with Unite to Light, Luke's Lights raises money to send solar lights to Kenyan communities that are off the electrical grid. For every $10 donation, one solar-powered light is be sent to the Kipsigis and Maasai communities (among others) in the Narok South District of Kenya, a country Luke visited in 2010. 

During Friday's event, attendees will also have a chance to purchase additional LED lights for $20. Buyers can keep the light they purchase and another will be sent to a Kenyan community. 

Festivities kick off at 6 p.m. on Friday, with the potluck dinner from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m., and song and dance from 9 p.m. - midnight with Loose Change, Dave Martin and more. Tickets are available for purchase online. 

For more information, email lukeslights@­gmail.­com or visit the Luke's Lights website.