Global News Radio 980 CFPL’s Holiday Map is back for another year!
Those in the London, Ont., region looking to get into the holiday spirit while still following COVID-19-related rules and regulations can tour the region to take in the best and brightest displays.
Zoom in on our map to see the homes in the region with fantastic decorations. Each house is marked with a candy cane and includes a photo of the display as well as a description from the homeowner.
Looking to get your home added to the map? Submissions can be sent in online up until 11:55 p.m. Dec. 26. The map itself will stay active until Jan. 3, 2022.
Already, there are over 40 submissions to the map, including Jeff Vanleeuwen’s spectacular display at 220 Songbird Lane in Ilderton, Ont., which also helps support local charities.
Last year, Vanleeuwen said he collected $27,000 for ChildCan, which provides support to families of children with cancer, and roughly 7,000 pounds of food for the Ailsa Craig Food Bank.
“My mom always made Christmas special for us, so that made me want to do more. And I also was influenced by Saskatoon Street (in London) when they had all the lights on that house,” Vanleeuwen told Global News.
“I always wanted to do something like that. I remember how it made me feel as a child to look at all those lights, so I wanted to do the same.”
Vanleeuwen’s spectacular display has been a decade in the making and draws hundreds of viewers from as far away as Toronto, Owen Sound and Peterborough.
Neighbour Gary Genttner told Global News that, initially, the sheer volume of lights shocked him but it’s so well done it’s “easy to look at.”
“One of my favourite things is just being outside and listening to people show up. Generally, the kids are squealing and the elderly, some of them have been brought to tears.”
However, while Vanleeuwen’s display is inspiring, Genttner hasn’t been moved to compete just yet.
“It’s funny because we do have some lights on our house and people have made the comment that, you know, there’s no way that we could compete with them, but no one on the street wants to compete with Jeff,” he explained.
“We want Jeff to shine just as he’s doing right now. ”
In addition to spreading joy to those who stop by, he’s also bringing joy to the wider community through fundraising efforts tied to the display.
“ChildCan came through who I work for, Carstar London West and London East. They were supporting one of the employee’s nieces and it just became close to our hearts while we were working there, seeing her and what she was going through. So that just made me want to do the same thing to other families,” he explained, adding that some families in Ilderton have also started using the program this year.
This year is the first year that Vanleeuwen’s display will support St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation’s Season of Celebration.
Foundation president and CEO Michelle Campbell told Global News she’s a huge fan of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation “and the Clark Griswold tradition,” so of course, she’s a fan of Vanleeuwen’s display.
She said the foundation approached Vanleeuwen to see if he’d be interested in supporting their campaign.
“To his credit, he took the time to learn a little bit more about what we were doing, why it was important, and once he learned that he agreed,” she explained.
“We are not the only organization that he recognizes with his display, but he was deliberate in supporting that and allowing us to link up with what he’s doing in his community.”
The Season of Celebration campaign has been running for over 30 years, supporting a specific front-line patient care equipment need as well as working to make the holiday season brighter for patients and staff.
“What people often forget is that there are people in hospital at Christmas time. They can be lonely. They could be separated from their families. They may not be feeling very well. They’re remembering Christmases past, and it can be a very lonely time for people in hospital,” Campbell explained.
“Additionally, we have staff that give up time with their family to look after patients and to be with them through the Christmas season. And so knowing all of that was going on, we wanted to do something that might brighten the days and the long nights of the holiday season for patients and residents.”
Initially, the campaign was focused on Parkwood Institute but it now supports all of St. Joseph’s Health Care’s sites: Parkwood Institute, Regional Mental Health Care, Mount Hope Centre for Long Term Care and St. Joseph’s Hospital.
This year’s equipment fundraiser focuses on upgrading and replacing over 80 specialty mattresses and beds across all of those sites.
— with files from Global News’ Andrew Graham
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