LYNNFIELD — With four weeks left before Christmas, Lynnfield homeowners Corey Mendonca and Emily Sullivan are working 24/7 to put the finishing touches on their holiday decorations.
Once again, the couple has added an incentive.
“We are collecting toys for the Marines Toys for Tots program for a second year and we need to be up and running immediately after Thanksgiving,” Mendonca said. “It’s been a little tough as the weather is killing me. These leaves just don’t seem to want to come down.”
Last year’s campaign collected 885 toys. This year’s goal?
“I don’t really have a number but we definitely want to do more than last year,” Mendonca said.
New this year is a mid-sized and elaborately-decorated camper, which will be used as the drop-off station. Donations can be dropped off anytime, but Mendonca said the best time to stop every week will be Saturday.
“We’re going to have Santa Claus every Saturday, hopefully starting the first Saturday after Thanksgiving,” Mendonca said. “People will be able to visit Santa and take pictures with a photographer. I’m in the process of arranging it and it should be a great time for families with young children.”
Mendonca said there will be a charge for the photos, which will be donated to a local charity. Toys must be new and unwrapped. Additional information about the drive can be found on Mendonca’s Facebook page, “WinterWonderland@371Salem.”
Located at 371 Salem St., the home’s decorations cover nearly every inch of the large front yard. Mendonca estimates that more than 10,000 new lights have been installed compared to last year. He added a whole new village consisting of five displays of houses, including a 12-foot high church, a 12-foot working clock tower and a 5-foot toy store. The lights have been on every night since mid-November. The couple began decorating in September.
Mendonca said while the major displays have been installed, they will be adding new decorations from time to time.
“The main displays are in place, but we still have so much more to do to be ready. All I can promise you is that I will continue trying to make it bigger and better every year,” he said. “We’re really excited about running the toy drive again and also the Light Up Lynnfield contest. We got shut out last year, but are hoping to get back in the winners’ circle again.
In years past, the couple — winners of the 2019 Clark W. Griswold award — even tried to decorate some of the adjacent property owned by the town.
“I’d have decorated the town fixtures abutting the property but the town wouldn’t let me,” Mendonca said.
