House On Robindale Christmas Lights Fundraiser!
Donation protected
It’s that time again! It's November, the weather is changing, and for better or worse, everything is suddenly pumpkin spice. That can only mean one thing… It’s time to put up the Christmas Lights! In fact, this is our 10 Year Anniversary! In our first year, our display had 25,000 lights and now it has over 100,000! Take that, Clark Griswold.
But in all seriousness, this has been a heck of a year for everyone. Vegas has been hit harder than almost anywhere in the country. I love this city and the people in it. It’s where I’ve raised my kids and put down roots. This year has been tough for many people and especially here in the entertainment community. Some of you might know that I am in entertainment...specifically in an audience participation show...and because of this, there is no end in sight for this pandemic and the show opening. All current shows that can open have an exclusion of no audience participation. I explained to the kids that maybe we should be conservative and not put the lights up this year. But they can’t imagine the holidays without it. Every year on Thanksgiving we put up the Christmas tree and when it gets dark, we go outside and stand in front of the house and officially start the light show. My kids dance in the driveway and they get so excited when they see cars start to arrive. It’s awesome. Every year people post, email and message that coming to the House on Robindale to watch the light show is a family tradition that they partake in each year. I love that. It’s what makes it all worth it! When I started I truly had no idea how much it would grow and how many people would be a part of it. And in 2020 with so many changes, I think we all could use more ways to celebrate the holidays safely together…and outside of our houses!
Many people in years past have asked if they can make donations and we have always said, "No. This is something we like to do for our kids, our family, our friends, and the community." We don't ever want to financially gain from this. It is not what the holiday spirit is all about. But things are different this year. For everyone. I know that times are hard all around, but if you’ve come and enjoyed the lights in the past and would like to throw something in to contribute this year, this is how you can. If you love the light show and you can throw in $5, $10, or more...that would be amazing!
Here’s some background: Every year it costs around $3000 in hard costs to get the 85 foot boom lifts rented, delivered by a truck and flatbed to put the lights put up on all the palm trees and roof and take them down again in January. The other funds are to pay people to help with labor, pay electricity bills, repair equipment that needs attention, replace light strings that are faulty etc. And that doesn’t count the over $50K I’ve spent on lights, mounting equipment and electricity power boxes when initially purchasing all the equipment! Unfortunately, the equipment required to put on a show of this magnitude is not something you can pick up at the local box store. Plus there’s the actual programing. It takes 3-5 hours of programming for every minute of show that you see! Right now we have just under 500 hours of programming in the light sequences that you've seen up to this point and I do that all myself. That doesn't include the man hours to set up and take down each year! That takes a group of 10-12 of us 3 full working days to put them up and take them down. This year due to pandemic, we likely have to keep the group smaller and therefore will take longer. You might think I’m nuts for all of this (no argument there) but it’s become so much a part of our lives and a part of the community who comes every season, that I can’t imagine NOT doing this crazy thing. So much normalcy has disappeared. Keeping a fun, safe, family tradition going this year is something we really want to do and feel like this is something the city needs right now.
I hope you all are doing well, staying safe and healthy, and I can’t wait to see you all again on the strip and out and about all across Las Vegas when this is all over. Thank you for your support over the years and in this fundraiser. I can't thank you enough.... but I can at least try :)
For Everyone Who Pitches In Any Amount:
You will receive my undying appreciation AND a shoutout on my Facebook Page!
For Anyone Who Pitches In $100 or more:
You will have my undying appreciation, a shoutout on my Facebook Page, AND you'll receive a private socially distanced tour and walk through of exactly how the process of creating and presenting my light show works! You'll get to see how things are programmed and all the cool behind the scenes stuff that I've never shown the public! We will make a time to meet at the house and I will show you how it all works and you can ask as many questions as you like. Should take about 30 mins or so and would be all outside wearing masks.
For Anyone Who Pitches In $250 or more: You will get all the previously mentioned bonuses PLUS you will get to choose a song that I will program for the lights show! (Must be appropriate of course).
-Marc
PS- And if we happen to blow past the fundraising goal, I have set a STRETCH GOAL of $5000. If we reach that goal. I will be adding an LED SIGN on the Roof next season (might not be able to actually get it built and finished for this season due to time constraints)! This will mean I will be able to put the words to songs up as well as shout outs and more and maybe even a sing-a-long?!
If you can help, that would be amazing. If you can share this post to your friends that might be able to help too, that would be even more amazing!
But in all seriousness, this has been a heck of a year for everyone. Vegas has been hit harder than almost anywhere in the country. I love this city and the people in it. It’s where I’ve raised my kids and put down roots. This year has been tough for many people and especially here in the entertainment community. Some of you might know that I am in entertainment...specifically in an audience participation show...and because of this, there is no end in sight for this pandemic and the show opening. All current shows that can open have an exclusion of no audience participation. I explained to the kids that maybe we should be conservative and not put the lights up this year. But they can’t imagine the holidays without it. Every year on Thanksgiving we put up the Christmas tree and when it gets dark, we go outside and stand in front of the house and officially start the light show. My kids dance in the driveway and they get so excited when they see cars start to arrive. It’s awesome. Every year people post, email and message that coming to the House on Robindale to watch the light show is a family tradition that they partake in each year. I love that. It’s what makes it all worth it! When I started I truly had no idea how much it would grow and how many people would be a part of it. And in 2020 with so many changes, I think we all could use more ways to celebrate the holidays safely together…and outside of our houses!
Many people in years past have asked if they can make donations and we have always said, "No. This is something we like to do for our kids, our family, our friends, and the community." We don't ever want to financially gain from this. It is not what the holiday spirit is all about. But things are different this year. For everyone. I know that times are hard all around, but if you’ve come and enjoyed the lights in the past and would like to throw something in to contribute this year, this is how you can. If you love the light show and you can throw in $5, $10, or more...that would be amazing!
Here’s some background: Every year it costs around $3000 in hard costs to get the 85 foot boom lifts rented, delivered by a truck and flatbed to put the lights put up on all the palm trees and roof and take them down again in January. The other funds are to pay people to help with labor, pay electricity bills, repair equipment that needs attention, replace light strings that are faulty etc. And that doesn’t count the over $50K I’ve spent on lights, mounting equipment and electricity power boxes when initially purchasing all the equipment! Unfortunately, the equipment required to put on a show of this magnitude is not something you can pick up at the local box store. Plus there’s the actual programing. It takes 3-5 hours of programming for every minute of show that you see! Right now we have just under 500 hours of programming in the light sequences that you've seen up to this point and I do that all myself. That doesn't include the man hours to set up and take down each year! That takes a group of 10-12 of us 3 full working days to put them up and take them down. This year due to pandemic, we likely have to keep the group smaller and therefore will take longer. You might think I’m nuts for all of this (no argument there) but it’s become so much a part of our lives and a part of the community who comes every season, that I can’t imagine NOT doing this crazy thing. So much normalcy has disappeared. Keeping a fun, safe, family tradition going this year is something we really want to do and feel like this is something the city needs right now.
I hope you all are doing well, staying safe and healthy, and I can’t wait to see you all again on the strip and out and about all across Las Vegas when this is all over. Thank you for your support over the years and in this fundraiser. I can't thank you enough.... but I can at least try :)
For Everyone Who Pitches In Any Amount:
You will receive my undying appreciation AND a shoutout on my Facebook Page!
For Anyone Who Pitches In $100 or more:
You will have my undying appreciation, a shoutout on my Facebook Page, AND you'll receive a private socially distanced tour and walk through of exactly how the process of creating and presenting my light show works! You'll get to see how things are programmed and all the cool behind the scenes stuff that I've never shown the public! We will make a time to meet at the house and I will show you how it all works and you can ask as many questions as you like. Should take about 30 mins or so and would be all outside wearing masks.
For Anyone Who Pitches In $250 or more: You will get all the previously mentioned bonuses PLUS you will get to choose a song that I will program for the lights show! (Must be appropriate of course).
-Marc
PS- And if we happen to blow past the fundraising goal, I have set a STRETCH GOAL of $5000. If we reach that goal. I will be adding an LED SIGN on the Roof next season (might not be able to actually get it built and finished for this season due to time constraints)! This will mean I will be able to put the words to songs up as well as shout outs and more and maybe even a sing-a-long?!
If you can help, that would be amazing. If you can share this post to your friends that might be able to help too, that would be even more amazing!
Organizer
Marc Savard
Organizer
Las Vegas, NV