Affton Family's Holiday Lights Draw Praise, Votes in Patch Contest
Patrick and Denise Dolan's Christmas decorations could earn the Affton School District $100,000. All they need is your vote!
The Dolan’s Christmas decorations are so elaborate that Patrick Dolan finally bought a second electric service so they could run the washing machine and microwave at the same time as the nativity scene and the singing Santa.
“I used to always love helping my dad put up my Christmas decorations,” Patrick said. “When I got old enough to stand on the ladder, I just started putting lights up myself.”
This year, the Dolan family is hoping to turn Patrick’s engineering prowess and holiday spirit into a $100,000 donation to the Affton School District through Patch’s Deck the House Contest.
Last year, the Dolan’s house won fifth place in the annual contest, which lets readers vote for their favorite home holiday light display.
And fifth place just isn’t good enough for the Dolans.
“We’re going to kill it this year,” Denise, Patrick’s wife, said. “To hand $100,000 to the schools would just be…”
“…phenomenal,” Patrick said, finishing her sentence and matching her hopeful expression. Maureen, the Dolan’s 9-year-old, attends Gotsch Intermediate School. “If we win this, it’s not what we did. It’s what the community did. All we did was put up some lights.”
The Dolans take the job of earning votes very seriously. Patrick added 5,000 lights this year, drawing a total of more than 100 amps of power. Denise posts on Facebook constantly and has reached out to all her social networks, asking friends to vote for what Affton has come to call “the house with all the lights.”
“People know the house,” Denise said, laughing at the understatement.
At the heart of their efforts is Affton, the small, tight-knit, charitable community they call home and the school district that will educate all three of their daughters.
“This is about this community,” Denise said. “Put Affton on the map.”
FOR MORE
For rules and more information on the Patch Deck the House contest, go to the official site.
To vote for the Dolans, go to this page, click the Vote button and follow the instructions.
LAST YEAR'S STORIES
Alison Nixon
8:44 am on Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Thank you Dolans!!
Mike Penrose
7:40 am on Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Amazing people!! Proud to be a fellow Affton-ite and neighbor. I am lucky enough to see their display from my home.
Pat Wilken Maloney
11:27 am on Monday, December 17, 2012
I want to vote for this house, but my computer won't let me. My daughter, also, cannot vote. The cite won't let us in, I guess. I have tried three or four times since, and including, last night. It said maybe my cache or cookies needed clearing, so I did that, but still doesn't work. My daughter and I both have different computers, and she lives in Foristell......so I don't think it is the computers.
Any one else having this trouble??
Ryan Martin
12:31 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Hi Pat — sorry I didn't see this comment until now! We had some technical difficulties with voting, but it should be fixed now. Would you mind trying today and letting us know if you experience any difficulties?