VIDEO: Maple Ridge man raises funds for Make-A-Wish through holiday lights

A Maple Ridge man has gone all out with his holiday lights in a bid to spread joy while raising funds for Make-A-Wish.

Lights dancing along with Christmas tunes, a life-size Santa at the entrance and elves atop the roof, has transformed Bryce Young’s home into a holiday wonderland.

The house is dubbed as Spirit on Stoney Ave. and can be found on 20812 Stoney Ave., Maple Ridge.

“We love Christmas and my eldest son is very much the same and involved. It has been a family tradition for my life even with my parents. We are also good friends with the Miracle on Rae Street to which we owe many of our display pieces too. They do donate some retired pieces to us and have helped grow both our Christmas and Halloween displays,” said Young, who has been decorating his home for the holidays for a long time now, but is in his sixth year of raising funds through these displays.

“The cause is positivity for the community. We do it for the smiles and to share our joy with others in hopes of bringing and happiness to all who come to see it and we have been doing donations for Make-A-Wish since 2016,” he said.

Young, who has lived in Maple Ridge for over 20 years, remembers Christmas as always being a time of warmth and joy. As a child, his parents taught him what it meant to be giving and loving especially during the holidays, and that’s what he hopes to pass on to his children through this exotic light display coupled with fundraising.

“This has helped me teach my children the value of hard work, community spirit and helping others, especially through these unprecedented times we are currently in,” he said.

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This year, the goal for Young’s fundraiser is $3,000 and so far he has reached 31.94 per cent of the goal.

“I don’t feel we will even match last year’s run at this point unfortunately,” he said, “But, we want you to smile and enjoy the season no matter what it means to you. We want everyone to feel welcomed and to remember that the real reason is to give in a way that you can. It does not need to be financial or even with physical gifts, a gesture, a good deed and courteous behaviours for all your neighbour’s no matter what!”

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