If you’ve noticed that the Copperleaf neighborhood is gleaming with candy-cane colors this Christmas week, look no further for a culprit than Corey Christiansen.
If the name is familiar, you’re likely up-to-date on Aurora news.
Christiansen is the spokesperson for the Aurora Public Schools district that encompasses much of north and central Aurora.
After work-hours in the fall, however, Christiansen won’t be found kicking back on the couch like most of us. A self-proclaimed fanatic for all things Christmas cheer, he said he donned warm clothing and spent up to three hours a night through November installing an ever-growing display of Christmas lights.
Photo by Philip B. Poston/The Sentinel
Photo by Philip B. Poston/The Sentinel
This year, he’s boasting more than 35,000 lights in his display, and asking for donations to a local autism organization.
“It’s a little crazy, but it’s my hobby,” Christiansen said of the lights. “I’ve always joked that we should buy our neighbors sunglasses because it’s really bright.”
Although Christiansen said he sets up the lights himself, the display is a testament to his two children with autism and his wife, Monica, he said.
The home shines with red LEDs – Monica’s favorite color – dotted decorations like pink-and-purple mini-trees, for his daughter Chloe, 6, and an inflatable elephant for his son Brady, 8.
There’s nothing amateurish about Christiansen’s hobby. This year, he’s asking for donations to the Autism Society of Colorado.
“They helped us be able to find what resources were available at government levels, therapies, Medicaid, so many other things that were essential,” Christiansen said of ASC. “We know there are so many other families out there that need our support.”
Portrait by Philip B. Poston/The SentinelPhoto by Philip B. Poston/The Sentinel
Christiansen placed a small yard sign at the center of his display, wrapped in lights, providing instructions for gawkers to donate via text to ASC.
So far, he said about $500 have been donated – halfway to his $1,000 goal.
The donations will be spent on educating the public about autism, such as how to interact with severely autistic children like Chloe, who communicates non-verbally.
Christiansen said his children love to see the lights, and so do his neighbors. He recently won his homeowner association’s holiday lights contest for the fourth year in a row. But he’s also set his sights on regional contests like the Denver Post holiday lights map.
The ambition puts him against the likes of a home in Arvada with 90,000 lights, and a Greeley home with near 180,000 lights.
“Just a few more than I do,” Christiansen said sarcastically.
Even so, he’s proud of the display on what he calls a modest-sized property.
“It actually makes the light display look pretty dense, because I don’t have a lot of room to spread out,” he said.