Sandy Gunn was a little hesitant when the idea was first brought up.
“I was not even thinking people would drive by,” she said.
Gunn and her husband John Vitetta had always put up Christmas lights on their home south of Limehouse. But after completing some outdoor renovations, Gunn decided she wanted to light the tree at the front of their house.
It’s a request that sounds simple enough, except that the tree is 78 feet tall. Just to put that in perspective, this year’s tree in New York’s Rockefeller Square was 74 feet high. The local tree needed 61,000 lights - 11,000 more than its famous counterpart.
Plans were made to rent a boom to string the lights. But if they were going to go to that much effort, why not decorate the rest of the yard as well? Neighbour Doreen Vandersluis came on board to help bring the project to life.
Rather than starting small and adding to the display each year, they went all out. As the life-size decorations were added and the display became more extensive, the idea to raise money for charity was brought up.
That’s where Gunn’s hesitancy came into play.
“I’m a private person, so I didn’t know how I felt about having so many people driving through our yard,” she said.
But then she also didn’t think many people would stop by to see the lights and it might raise a couple hundred dollars for charity.
So on Nov. 12, Gunn and Vitetta flipped the switch and invited the community to their Fifth Line home to see what's become known as Christmas at Brandylane. Over the following weeks, they would greet more than 2,000 cars at the end of their driveway.
Senior residences brought people by the busload out to see the lights. They had visitors from as far away as Japan, Australia, India, the United Kingdom and the United States.
And their Christmas display raised $18,200 for Cancer Assistance Halton Hills and the Georgetown Hospital Foundation. On Christmas Eve alone, 171 cars visited the display and $1,400 was raised.
“This is a true community event that supports the community, and we’re blown away to have people like this who go to all this effort to help,” said Julie Liddle, executive director of Cancer Assistance Halton HIlls. “At a time when the news in the world seems a bit bleak, Brandylane was a heartwarming escape and also helped remind us of the kindness of people in and around our great community.”
“Their hospitality, not just turning on the lights and letting people come through, but greeting people, it’s like a family,” said Knesia Sholdra, associate director of the Georgetown Hospital Foundation. "I told people, you’re not just going to love the lights, you’re going to love the people.”
Gunn quickly got over her initial hesitancy and now plans are already being made to expand the display next year, including lighting up a 50-foot tree.
And in addition to brightening up the holidays, Christmas at Brandylane will have an impact throughout the year.
“A lot of people don’t realize that all the new hospital equipment is all funded by donations. Events like this help spread that message,” Sholdra said. “This money will be going toward a mammogram machine. The community is growing and there is more demand, plus they are expanding screening to everyone 40 and over.”
The new machine will have better imaging capabilities, meaning there will be less need for follow-up appointments at other hospitals.
Community events like Christmas at Brandylane also help raise the profile of the charities.
“The exposure alone about Cancer Assistance (Halton Hills) helps get the name out there at a time when the community is growing and our number of clients is increasing,” Liddle said. “This definitely helps give us a boost, helping us provide more drives, more equipment.”
