Chicago Nativity Scene on display in Daley Plaza ahead of Christmas

CHICAGO (WLS) -- On a brutally cold Saturday morning in Daley Plaza, the sounds of the season rang out ahead of Christmas.

A group of volunteers call themselves the "God Squad," a group who have brought the story of Christmas to life in downtown Chicago for the past 40 years.

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"That's the reason for the season, and just the spirit that we've kept going since the very beginning," Chicago Nativity Scene volunteer Harold Hanley said.

The Nativity scene features a manger filled with life-size statues, including baby Jesus himself, many of which are original to the initiative's inception four decades ago.

The dedicated "God Squad" volunteers braved bone chilling temperatures for hours Saturday, working to construct the Nativity scene in Daley Plaza.

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"It just means Jesus was born as a savior and came to save everyone," Chicago Nativity Scene volunteer John Frank Chesna said.

Chesna is a carpenter who says he's been helping setup the Nativity scene for the past 20 years. He said when people experience the story of Christmas in Daley Plaza, he wants them to walk away feeling loved.

"It's an honor for me to get to work on our Lord's nativity," Chesna said. "We remember that every person in every land is important."