Prairie Fire: Episode 8 - December 2023

In this holiday edition of Prairie Fire, we travel to Bull Valley, Illinois and introduce you to a special program geared towards helping veterans. Then the U of I Black Chorus visit the Collins Studio at WILL to give us a special holiday performance. And finally, we once again visit with author Charles Dickens as he gives us (and his wife) a preview of the new Christmas story he has been working on.

Operation Wild Horse

In honor of Veteran's Day, we visit Operation Wild Horse in Bull Valley, Illinois. This non-profit organization provides a space where Veterans, active-duty military, and family members can build community and form a bond with wild mustangs and burros. We follow the female veterans camp, a weekly program that allows female veterans to safely share their experiences, build friendships, and form a partnership with their mustang or burro. Non-verbal communication and self-discovery are at the heart of mustang-human connection and mutual healing. Operation Wild Horse hopes to enable unique, life-changing experiences for both at-risk mustangs and veterans with the goal of decreasing the rate of Veteran suicide.

U of I Black Chorus Performs in Collins Studio

The U of I Black Chorus, lead by Artistic Director and Conductor Dr. Ollie Watts Davis, performs a couple of holiday songs in the Collins Studio at WILL-TV as part of our first Prairie Fire holiday special.

Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol" Preview

We check in once again with author Charles Dickens, and he gives us a sneak peak at a new Christmas story he has been working on. We'll see what his wife thinks of his latest work.