"I just love Christmas": Surrey family turns home into dazzling holiday display (PHOTOS)
Growing up in Victoria, BC, Flavio Marquez said he loved the tradition of driving through Candy Cane Lane, where a row of houses dazzled in holiday lights annually.Ā
So Marquez created a goal for himself — to deck out his home with lights every Christmas.Ā
He started decorating his parent’s home with lights in the late ’80s when he was 18 and eventually created a tradition with his kids and wife.Ā
Flavio Marquez/Facebook
Since moving to Surrey in 2015, Marquez and his family have worked as a team tirelessly, rain or shine to set up and take down the massive displays at their home.
“It’s quite overwhelming… It takes us a month and a half to get everything set up, and when we have those difficult days that it’s raining and we’re like, ‘it’s just too much.’ We remind each other why we’re doing this, and it makes it all worth it.”
Flavio Marquez/Facebook
When they noticed significant crowds would gather to see the lights, Marquez’s family started to raise money for the Surrey Food Bank.Ā
“Coming up from Mexico, I started from scratch, built on my career, and now… things are going well. So I’m very grateful for all that. But we feel that this is our time to now start to give back to the community,” Marquez said.Ā
“We live in a place where we’re extremely fortunate to have what we have and sadly, there are many people that don’t have these luxuries. They don’t have the basic things that we take for granted. So that’s another reason we want to do it. Also… we don’t want [our kids] to grow up with a sense of entitlement, with a sense of taking things for granted. We want them to be aware of how many other families live so that they can just have that inside of them. So as they grow, they can also do their part to help out and make this a better world.
“I just love Christmas.”
Flavio Marquez/Facebook
Last year,Ā the family managed to collect 757 pounds of food and over $2,200 in cash and online donations.
If you visit their display this season, you can bring non-perishable food items and cash donations to support the Surrey Food Bank. Or you can contribute by donating to their fundraiser on Facebook.Ā
Flavio Marquez/Facebook
Holiday light-seekers are invited to drop by any time to see the display and walk through the Instagram-worthy light tunnels. The home is located at 16468 104th Avenue in Surrey.
Find all the other places to see holiday lights in Metro Vancouver this season by checking out ourĀ Christmas map.
With files from Sarah Anderson
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