Aurora Family's Elaborate Light Display Raises Money For Autism Charity

AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - A family in Aurora is using their holiday light display to do more than get in the Christmas spirit -- it's a way to give back.

"I have just been making it bigger," Corey Christiansen said. "Now we are at about 35,000 lights, which is pretty crazy. It makes me tired just thinking about it."

Christiansen says his love for lights started at a young age.

"I love the magic of it just the feeling of it that you get going to look at Christmas lights," he said. This year he's taking that magic a step further.

"It's really kind of difficult when you first get that diagnosis because you don't know where to go, you don't know who to call next, and the Autism Society helps you navigate that," he said.

Christiansen's two children, 8-year-old Brady and 6-year-old Chloe both have autism.

"It effects your communication and your social skills primarily, and so our son has some of that. Our daughter Chloe was diagnosed as severe on the autism spectrum. She's non verbal. She has never said a word in her life," he said.

He and his wife turned to the Autism Society of Colorado for help. Now, years later, they want to giveback.

They've turned their holiday display, "It's A Wonderful Light" into a fundraiser.

"We are right around $500 right now. Our goal is $1,000 for this Christmas season. If we could surpass that would be amazing," Christiansen said.

For Christiansen, it just adds to his love for the season. And if he needed one, another reason to keep the display growing.

"I look at it and I say there's a lot of spots that I can put some lights," he said.

If you want to help the Christiansen's reach their goal you can text "brightlight" to 44321.

The home if you'd like to get a look in person, the address 4822 South Picadilly Court in Aurora.