Desert Hills couple light up holidays

STAFF REPORT~ 12/7/2011

Desert Hills residents Mike and Barb Mulvenna are collecting donations to support the 100 Club at their annual holiday light display.
Over the last two years viewers of their home, which is decorated with more than 100,000 lights throughout the month of December, have donated more than $5,000 to the charity which aids families of police and fire personnel who are seriously injured or killed in the line of duty.
The Mulvennas, who have been decorating their home for the last seven years, decided to put out a donation box in front of their home two years ago as a way to honor the late Brian Howe, a Phoenix Police Officer and former neighbor.
The light display, which includes a 30-foot artificial tree that is decorated by more than 30,000 multi-colored lights, is accompanied by 33 different Christmas songs. The garage door also has a video board that has images that go along with what amounts to more than an hours worth of music.
In addition to speakers outside the home motorists checking out the display can keep warm by tuning their car stereos to 93.9. The display is available for viewing from dusk until 10 p.m. each night through Dec. 31.
Mike acknowledges that he lost track of the number of lights after surpassing 100,000 a couple of years ago. He also says estimating the number of visitors that come by the house is challenging.
“Some nights we’ll have 15 cars, some nights we’ll have 200,” he said. “Some of the vehicles might have two people in them, some might have 5 or 6. We don’t worry about that. We just want every one that comes by to enjoy what they see.”
The home is located on 505 E. Desert Ranch Road in Desert Hills.

Video Clip: http://youtu.be/IjBOwMZb3T8