The final votes are in and Affton residents Pat and Denise Dolan have come in fifth in Patch's Deck the House holiday lighting contest. Their bedazzled home on Laclede Station Road received a whopping 3,276 votes—just 14 votes behind the fourth-place house.

The Dolans were one of 24 finalists competing for a grand prize donation of $100,000 to the winner's local public school district. Their house was selected as a finalist by judges from among a pool of entries collected from hundreds of Patch towns across the country. Though the prize eventually went to the Powell house in Davis, CA, the Dolans lead a vigorous get-out-the-vote effort through yard signs, the Affton School District, local Affton organizations and St. Louis TV news.

"It's all about the schools," said Denise Dolan, who teaches music at the St. Domicic De Savio parish school. The Dolans have two children who have graduated from the Affton School District and a third currently in school there.

This is not the first time the Dolans have used their holiday decorations to try to help their community. Before moving to their current house they lived on Troost Street, which is famous throughout the area as a hotspot of spectacular light displays. By collecting donations from on-lookers, the Dolans helped Troost Street raise $4,000 to $6,000 per year for the local schools and needy families.

"When we moved here we had so much more yard and so much more house," Denise said. "We hope this year’s theme of red, white and green brings out the spirit of the season that reflects joy and generosity. As people gather to enjoy the decorations, we also accept donations to help out struggling families in the community."

The lighting display itself is the work of Pat Dolan, who works for the St. Louis Bridge Construction Company. Dolan said the decorations, which he has been mastering for 25 years, take six days to put up and require 15 to 20 minutes of maintainence each night. Along with lights, the display includes a singing Santa Claus figure. Dolan said he had added 100 amps of electricity to the house to help power the display.

Thanks so much to the Dolans for their great entry, and stay on the lookout for more sweet contests from Patch!