- The Allison Christmas Spectacular has been brightening the holiday season for 16 years.
- The Allison family begins set up in July each year.
- Check out the video to see how many lights they're going to have this year.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
I'm Ashley Engle in Havana where Christmas has already begun ok just kidding not really, but I spoke with one family who prepared for the worst this hurricane season but prayed for the best.
"The whole process you know you just got to prepare in case something hits"
This is Daniel Allison, I got to spend the day with him and family setting up their Allison Christmas Spectacular
The Allison's start setting up the lights in early July each year. The tradition has run for 16 years now.
"This was really my dream as a kid. I literally wanted to plaster the yard with lights whatever I could find a tree, a bush a house whatever."
This year, a challenge arose that they and many others in the community faced. Hurricane season. Hurricane Idalia crashed into the Big Bend. The center of the storm made landfall about 75 miles from their property.
The Allison's tell me they prepare for high-speed winds when storms get close. Their biggest threat are tree branches falling and breaking the lights.
"Usually when a storm comes, we have to loosen up the wires at the base and then we clump them all together and then tie them to that middle PVC pipe that's part of the frame."
They did the same steps during hurricane Michael that hit west of them 5 years ago. Fortunately, the family did not get any damage from hurricane Idalia.
Gloria Allison, who is also involved with the light show, says she's grateful and the threat of hurricane season is not going to stop them from what she says ' the lord called them to do'.
"Just praying for God's protection, his will, and knowing that if we were to have extensive damage, he would somehow use that for his glory and to continue to have his hand a blessing on this ministry."
Protection that they hope will last through the end of hurricane season and into another year of spreading holiday cheer.
"It is truly amazing to just see the impact that we have in not just our city area but our regional area
The Allison family is adding 200,000 more lights to their Christmas Spectacular this year getting them to a grand total of 700,000 lights. They hope to brighten up their community despite the potential threat of hurricane season. In Havana, I'm Ashley Engle, ABC 27
