This Canadian couple’s crib is lit.
Tom Kereluk and Vince Jackman say they miss Christmas a lot that they put 133 stunning trees of their home – on every floor and in every room, including the garage.
“They include all the pieces from small, small, as much as 12-meter trees which might be in the home” Jackman told CTV News in Calgary.
The couple, who live in Red Deer, an Alberta town, follow an obsession from 15 years ago once they reportedly opened their home to the general public to point out off 15 trimmed trees.
CTV reports that Kereluk was hesitant to disclose how much they spent on ornaments, but says many were donated by friends or relations who had remodeled their very own decorations.
“We are gatherers at heart,” said Kereluk. “I simply cannot throw anything away, so I make trees with stuff I have already got, or I see something on the thrift store. I just make something out of things that folks would throw away.”
Added Jackman, “My company’s clients were cleansing their homes and donating all of the old ornaments and stuff, so we have some vintage ornaments on the trees this 12 months.”
The couple’s Christmas forest also serves as a fundraiser for Central Alberta Humane Society. They told a Red Deer spokesperson that $7,000 has been raised to this point this season between open houses and a night of wine and cheesecakes.
Over the years, they’ve reportedly raised over $30,000 for the animal shelter.
“Third party fundraisers are the backbone of many charities like ours. Community involvement and community support means so much,” Executive Director Eve Sira told CTV.
“All the bills went up. The tools went up. We have a really lean staff, but our facility still costs us $1.4 million a 12 months to take care of.”
Five years ago, Kereluk and Jackman named their annual tour Sofia Celebrates Christmas in memory of their beloved pet Chihuahua.
“Every Christmas, when you couldn’t find her, she was all the time under some Christmas trees. He was lying right under the Christmas tree on Christmas mats,” Jackman recalled about his precious dog RDNewsNow last 12 months.
The holiday home will reopen on December thirtieth.
In the basement there are two Las Vegas themed trees decorated with postcards and memorabilia.
“We’ve been to Las Vegas again and again up to now and had all these room keys and little items you get from Las Vegas,” Kereluk told CTV. “What I did was create from this tree. I used to be bored with putting all of them in a box and leaving it on the shelf.”
Kereluk and Jackman plan to maintain their trees until the Ukrainian Christmas on January 7. After that, all the pieces will probably be packed up by next October.
“There have been about 4 recent projects this 12 months, plus many favorites – and we’re already planning recent ones for next 12 months,” Jackman bragged to a spokesperson.
