From The Dept Of Duh: Family Can’t Afford This $US41,000, 1-Million Christmas Light Extravaganza

@AmbroseErmoo:

This is about 5 minutes from my house and I have to agree with Ambrose here. The man has been doing this for more than two decades and does this solely for other people to appreciate only asking for donations, I think for a children's cancer hospital.

He really isn't an idiot and the family's heart is definitely in the right place. I've been going there for a pretty long time now and it will most certainly different not taking a visit this Christmas season.

$41,000? I can think of alot of things that would put alot of smiles on alot more people with $41,000. Seriously, with that kind of coin you could provide alot of food to those that don't have any.

MrEvil

It's posted in July because now is when he has to make the decision. It takes him (and a paid crew) months to set it up.

Over the years, they've taken in almost $200K in donations, every cent of which they've given to a local children's hospital. They pay for the lights out of their own pocket, and they don't want to take any of the donation money to pay for the exhibit; hence their decision not to put it up this year, because he's still paying off last year's bill. They're asking people to donate directly to the hospital instead.

I wouldn't want to be their neighbor either during the light show months, but their heart seems to be in the right place. And all in all, a neighbor with a good heart and garish taste is better than mean-spirited people living next door, no?

clickable

Umm . . . how many carbon credits will this family need to buy to make up for this piece of crap display.

ding-dang

Hey, there's a light out.

My first reaction to this story was, "Yep, another example of American excess."

Then I read AmbroseErmoo's comment and thought, "Well, if it makes the kids happy..."

But then I thought, "...however, is this teaching kids that more is better?"

I'm still on the fence.

$41,000? He has a doofus look, but she looks like she JUST figured it out.

CaliforniaKid

@Woz: They (him and 6 paid employees) set it up from Sept 1 - Thanksgiving, so cold really isn't a factor.

davidm

@reynwrap582: Clearly you havent read the Chronicles of John Thain.

But apart from that, yes, they would have figured out a way to make money out of it, and rip off customers.

and here i thought putting up my one or two strings of lights was hard. But this looks horrible it's not even nice.

rurena

I bet they have easily over $100,000 just in the front yard setup.

bflorin

I live not that far from this guy. Supposedly he started doing this a number of years ago and has been doing it as a charity fundraiser for a local Children's Hospital. From the article I read in my local paper he has raised over $180,000 for charity

BelladonnaClymene

It looks like a pretentious carnival stumbled up and puked all over this guy's house.

Rift

@Woz: Something tells me this isn't a spur of the moment one night project.

NurseDave

@ARP: Not exactly. What Fox News means is: if you're not a Christian....F!@K YOU.

@lilyHaze: Questions of "tackiness" in these cases are merely a matter of degree. I don't know if this is done elsewhere but this is definitely symptomatic of American society, at least, where we've been told over and over again that more is more when, in fact, it is less.

A house in my parents neighborhood (but not within viewing distance) does something similar, but slightly less tacky. They have the donation box too.

A lot of these "decorations" seem to be of the older, 70s/80s/possibly 90s type. So these people have been collecting for years.

lilyHaze

Regardless of what you would like to believe is the motivation behind this "christmas light idiot"s apparent madness, they have been doing this for 20 years, they are visited by thousands of kids a year, and spend thousands of dollars on toys and candy a year to give out to kids who come to see the lights. And he doesnt charge anyone a dime to come by and see it. This is more then a light show, it has become a long island tradition. Oh and I didnt mention they also donate tons of money to children's hospitals on top of that. You may say its ugly, a waste of money, etc, but when is the last time you did anything that made thousands of kids smile every year out of your own pocket and expected nothing whatsoever in return.

AmbroseErmoo

If I was a neighbor I'd be pissed!! I'd also have about a million targets for my pellet rifle....

@NurseDave: I couldn't do it. I usually give up due to cold after a couple hours.

Woz

I have never seen so much crap in my life... and 41000, that makes me wonder if he has a solid state meter on his house...

No story at all???? What do you mean they can't afford it, they already have it, does that mean they can't afford to repay the 2nd mortgage they took out to pay for all of this, or they can't pay their electric bill? Why are we posting this in July anyway

Wipeout King

@reynwrap582: I lold and cried at the same time.

Damn he's talented. And by talented I mean, he can drive to the Walmart and buy any sort of Christmas decoration that lights up without regard to aesthetics, put those said items all over his lawn and house again without any regard to aesthetics or purpose, then connect enough extension cords to plug the whole monstrosity in and flip a switch. That kinda talent.

NurseDave

Is this what Fox News means when they say there's a war on Christmas?

ARP

I'll put a 50-50 chance that these people do believe in Santa.

No reason in particular, just that they're, y'know, stupid.

andyo

Wow, those are damn ugly.

The light show too.

Bassem B.

@chuuchdizzle: No, like many americans, their religion is debt. If their religion was capitalism, they would have figured out how to make a profit on this, or had not done it at all in the first place.

reynwrap582

@chuuchdizzle: No, it's eco-destruction, not to mention extreme bad taste.

Why lah?

alexryia

Ah the glory of being popular on youtube should come at no expense...

ChuckBlack

Is their religion capitalism?

chuuchdizzle

@AmbroseErmoo: That's great and all.. but its obviously not a plan that works.

He needs to start charging, if only enough so he can break even and continue to bring smiles and happiness to the kids..

--Core--

Wow, some nasty comments. See ya'll in hell.

mangamonster

You mean there isn't already a donation site set up?

@AmbroseErmoo: Agreed. I live about 30 minutes from this place and it was a site to make Clark Griswold proud/jealous. It was especially pretty after a snow.