HOPE — A family that just moved to Hope last year has named winner of the first-ever Deck The Town lighting competition.
Matt and Hollie Dobbs, 444 South St. in Hope, received the traveling leg lamp trophy — a replica of the one from the classic movie “A Christmas Story,” as the winner of the competition sponsored by Main Street of Hope.
But it’s not theirs to keep. The Dobbs family will pass on the leg lamp — referred to as a “major award” in the movie — to the winner of next year’s competition.
“It was kind of cheesy,” Main Street executive director Susan Thayer Fye said of the trophy. “But we want to keep the competition light and positive, and simply encourage everyone to participate.”
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The Dobbs’ bright and joyous outdoor home display stems from a tragic experience. Twelve years ago, the family lost a child to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Thayer Fye said. After a few years of mourning, the family began putting up lights as a way to restore the holiday season in their lives, she said.
“The decorating got bigger and bigger each year,” Thayer Fye said of the family that relocated from north of Indianapolis to Hope last year.
“It was a way they could take a difficult situation and make it into something positive,” Fye said.
There were 360 hours of set-up time involved in putting up the display, which includes custom lighting signage that spells out “Welcome To Hope,” Thayer Fye said. Three laptop computers have been utilized to program the elaborate, synchronized lighting display.
There was not only sight, but sound. The display includes its own holiday music, which is broadcast on radio frequency 90.3 FM while people drive by.
Weather depending, the display will continue to run from 6 to 10 p.m. each night through New Year’s Eve.
The Deck The Town competition was kept simple. Town residents simply sent in the addresses of homes to the Main Street organization, and explained why they enjoyed the displays at each residence.
Those who clicked on the “Main Street of Hope” Facebook page could click “Like” on as many displays as they wished. In the end, the Dobbses got the most votes.
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The following locations in Hope were all nominated for the Main Street of Hope 2018 Deck The Town competition
102 Main St.
805 Main St.
179 Butner Drive
160 Schaefer Drive
151 Hitchcock Drive
651 Jackson St.
171 S. Midway Ct.
1607 Manor Drive
521 Locust St.
642 Washington St.
505 Harrison St.
434 Main St.
820 Jackson St.
444 South St.
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