There’s a sort of magic that fills the air when a diverse crowd comes together in celebration of life. It’s an energy you can’t fully understand until you’re standing in the Mall of America® Rotunda, surrounded by up to 8,000 strangers who have been inspired by the same story and have come to sing together. That’s the power of the Clouds Choir.
The Clouds Choir is a partnership between Mall of America and Twin Cities radio station KS95 to remember Zach Sobiech, a Minnesota teenager who left a legacy of positivity after fighting terminal cancer. He wrote and performed songs as a way to say goodbye to family and friends, and the uplifting nature of these songs in the face of death struck a chord with the world.
The annual tradition of singing one of Zach’s songs, “Clouds,” attracts an ever-growing audience—often by the bus load—to the Mall each December. Thousands of strangers who have been impacted by Zach’s story, including cancer patients and their families, local celebrities, religious groups, and families, come together to sing and raise funds for the Zach Sobiech Osteosarcoma Fund. Mall of America staff often stay late to join in. The director and stars of the Disney movie “Clouds,” based on Zach’s story, have even participated.
Zach may have left this world too soon, but his legacy lives on in the hearts and voices of all who join in each December.