For more than 40 years, Bortolo Rinaldo has decked the halls in a big way.
The Burnaby resident has one of the largest light displays in the city - and it's all for a good cause.
Last year, he raised about $7,000 for the Michael Cuccione Foundation with the donation box he has out with his display, he said.
As early as October, Rinaldo begins setting up his display at 950 Kensington Ave. Now, the house is glowing brightly every evening.
I was outside just trying to fix a wire," he said when contacted by the NOW last Friday. "Everything is on."
Rinaldo has decorated his home every Christmas since 1972, but he hasn't found it to be onerous or tiring, he said.
“When you enjoy doing something, it's never difficult," Rinaldo said.
This year, he plans to have a band come by one night to sing, though the date hasn't been set yet.
The display will be up until Jan. 11, Rinaldo said.
"I hope to raise at least $8,000 or even more," he added, "but it all depends on how the weather goes. If it's raining, people come by and they stay inside their cars, and that way, they don't take the wallet out."
In a previous interview with the NOW, Rinaldo, a retired paving contractor, said his work experience prepared him for the hard work required to put up thousands of lights on his property.
Since 2001, Rinaldo has collected more than $75,000 for the Michael Cuccione Foundation.
Rinaldo chose the foundation because the Cucciones are family friends, he said.
Michael was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1994, at the age of nine. By the age of 11, he raised $130,000 for childhood cancer research with a CD he produced, called Make a Difference. Rinaldo wanted to help Michael with his efforts and has raised money for the foundation with his light display annually.
"I'm proud to do it for them," he said. Rinaldo wanted to hand the first cheque to Michael at the foundation's annual dinner gala in September 2001, but unfortunately Michael passed away on Jan. 13, 2001.
