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Mandy’s Christmas Lights Fundraiser.
What started as a few outdoor Christmas lights has turned into a community loved tradition. One of Clann’s scheme managers, Mandy Stevenson, has been hard at work preparing her Christmas lights at her home in Dundalk.
“This started when my boys were smaller, we put up a few outside lights. Over the years this has took legs of its own and grown,” Mandy said.
Every year Mandy and her family have their own tradition of adding one new decoration to the display, “I have 5 kids so you can imagine the excitement when they were growing up”.
The decorations outside of the house take about 1 week to prepare which includes wiring, checking and securing them. The decorations continue inside Mandy’s home, “I love Christmas as you can see, and I feel having two children with additional needs it really makes their Christmas watching the lights go on every year. To be honest I am as excited as them!”
For the past two years Mandy has also done a morning radio broadcast on her local radio station to raise funds for a charity along with the switching on of the lights. Last years funds went to a Zoe, a local from Dundalk who was born with a PVL brain injury.
The display sees visitors travelling to Mandy’s home every year. Mandy said, “We have many visitors every year coming taking pictures. Our house is in most papers and competitions. This year, because of Covid I was not able to do an official switch on, however I may still do a morning on the local radio dressed as Mrs Santa Clause. I felt this year it was important to do our lights as lots of people were asking if we were going to put them up. It does lift your spirit when you see it all light up,
“I couldn’t even imagine how many lights there are but it would be interesting to know so maybe one day I will count them”, She continued.
