Desert Hills couple bring light to 100 Club with Christmas display
STAFF REPORT ~ 12/1/2010

 

Mike Mulvenna and his wife Barb aren’t unlike a lot of people in that they look forward to the Christmas season.
The Desert Hills couple go above and beyond though in how they share their holiday spirit.
Mike estimates that his display surpassed 100,000 lights last year. That wasn’t the most impressive number associated with the decorations in his front yard. Along with a 30-foot artificial tree that will have 30,000 new multi-color lights this year, more than an hours worth of Christmas music and some 30 plus songs, the display also had a donation box for the first time last year.
“One of our neighbors (Brian Howe) who was a member of the Phoenix Police Department passed away,” Mike said. “We talked to his wife Jackie and decided we’d put out a bucket to raised money for the 100 Club.”
The 100 Club is a nonprofit organization that comes to the aid of the families of police and fire personnel who are seriously injured or killed in the line of duty.
Barb said they had no idea what to expect in terms of donations.
“We were hoping to get maybe $200 or $300,” she said. “By the time we took our display down it was more than $2,800. We were thrilled.”
Mike said that for the first four years of the display his sole goal was simply enhancing people’s enjoyment of the holiday. While that’s still his primary goal he acknowledged that the fundraising effort added to his enjoyment of the display last year.
“We had some people leave 100 dollar bills, we had twenties, we had some people put pennies in there,” he said. “It’s not something people have to do, but we’re going to put it out there again this year and see if we can’t help out. The 100 Club.”
The retired IT director said he picked up the hobby of combining timed lights with music fairly easily.
“I start planning in February,” he said. “What’s really neat about this hobby is I get to talk to people from all over the world. I have people in Australia, in France even in Thailand that I talk to both over internet forums and on the phone. We’ve done video conferencing where we do brainstorming and talk about technical issues. We all use the same computer software in making this work.”
The actual physical work in putting together the display started in September. The display also includes a video display screen in a six-foot Christmas wreath on the garage door.
“I would say for at least the last month it has been an eight hour a day job,” Mike said.
In addition to being able to hear the music from his yard, drivers visiting the Mulvenna home, located on 505 E. Desert Ranch Road in Phoenix, off 7th St. and Joy Ranch Road, can sit in their vehicles and hear the music on 98.9 FM.
The light display debuted Saturday and will be lit from dusk until 10 p.m. each night through Jan. 2.
Mike said he and his wife sometime sit outside and offer hot chocolate and candy canes to children young and old.
“I can’t help it, I really can’t contain my enthusiasm for Christmas,” said Mike when asked to explain his willingness to put together the display for a sixth straight year.
To view video of the Mulvenna’s light display go to thefoothillsfocus.com. For information on the 100 Club go to 100club.org.