This home at 18 Guseli Crt, Kialla, is decorated by one of the six families involved in the Big Hearts for Brave Kids houses raising funds for the Kids Cancer Project.
Big hearts grow bigger in the hope that brave kids will get better.
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When Kialla’s Joyce family saw how big a crowd their impressive Christmas lights display in Wanderers Lane drew a few years ago, they cooked up a plan to transform the tradition into a fundraiser for kids with cancer.
Three years ago they started taking donations for sick kids to forward on to The Kids’ Cancer Project.
They raised five grand.
Last year they more than tripled that, raising over $15,000.
This year, with five other families on board and a Halloween house in the mix, they’re aiming to more than triple it again, with a fundraising goal of $50,000.
At $34,433 already (as of December 17), sans the tally of online-purchased raffle tickets or cash donations, they’re well on their way to achieving it.
They are also running an online auction that includes 28 prizes.
“We are trying to encourage people to bid on our silent auction items that still don’t have any bids against them,” Mr Joyce said.
“As well as purchasing raffle tickets to win part of the $6000 worth of prizes that were kindly donated by local businesses and artists.”
Funds are also raised by cash, electronic and online donations, icy-pole sales, and, in another first for this year, Kids Cancer Project collectible teddy bears.
The fundraising Christmas light displays are hosted by a collective of Kialla families including the Joyces, McCabes, Snows, Dowells, Hoggs and Propstings, and can be found in Gordon Dve, Settlers Dve, Guseli Crt and Wanderers Lane.
This home at 99 Gordon Dve in Kialla Lakes is best viewed from the lakeside.
From now until Christmas, mascots including Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph, The Grinch and new addition for this year, Elf on the Shelf, will be out greeting spectators each night when the weather permits.
Santa can also be found in Wanderers Lane on Saturday, December 20 and Christmas Eve, regardless of the weather.
Mr Joyce also offers Santa-for-hire services for schools, daycares and functions, where his fee will also be donated to the cause.
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