An abandoned mall in Milwaukee was revived and transformed into a winter wonderland for kids by Casey Neistat, a Milwaukee native turned YouTube star.

Casey wanted to encourage kids and show them how they could be creative with the digital media. He was looking for space and he remembered the Northridge Mall which had shut down in 2003.

The mall was completely empty. Its interior comprised of broken glass, an empty food court, and eerie, boarded-up doors. With Casey’s initiative, the mall was transformed to include a gingerbread house, ice-skating rink, a sledding hill, and professional snowboarders who performed tricks on the escalator.

Casey then partnered with Paul Leys of Samsung to surprise 100 children from the Boys and Girls Club of Great Milwaukee to gift them electronics and show them how they can get creative with digital media. They gave the kids smartphones, microphones, and accessories so they can learn how to create videos.

Paul said that he planned this event and teamed up with Casey and other creators because kids look up to them. They wanted to let the kids know that they can be just like these creators and that all they needed was a phone.

Casey said, “I see it as an opportunity, and an opportunity to sort of elevate young kids and let them know that now, because of technology, they’re empowered in ways that they’ve never been empowered before.”