As children, James Crowther and Ben Walker, now 19, would admire the Christmas lights set up on lawns and houses across the city every December.
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The best friends dreamed one day they would have their own impressive displays, complete with Santa, reindeers and sparkling lights.
"We would always say to our parents ... 'Can we please do the lighthouses?' It was just something about the spirit of Christmas, we really enjoyed it," James said.
At only 10 years old, the boys saved their pocket money and set up their first lights.
"Each year we would save our money up, and on the Boxing Day sales [we] would go out, buying our lights. [It's] just kept growing each year," James said.
After a few years, the displays started attracting huge crowds.
The teenagers decided to use the audience and raise money for Multiple Sclerosis Limited in honour of Ben's grandmother, who lives with the disease.
"She's still living on her own, but it's a struggle every day, not knowing what you're going to wake up with," Ben said.
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"The symptoms vary very differently between every person, and it's a progressive disease as well, so it gets worse over time. [So] it's impossible to predict what will happen in the future."
In the past three years, the displays have attracted thousands of Canberrans and raised $15,000 for MS research, labelling their effort the Christmas Lights for MS campaign.
As well as collection tins, this year they are running a raffle, with $2500 worth of prizes available.
"We've met lots of different people living with MS in our time here. And some wonderful people that are doing great things, even though they're living with the disease," Ben said.
"Awareness is one of the main reasons why we're doing it. And then the vital funds for medical research, advocacy and supporting those with MS is just a byproduct of the awareness that we raise."
Mates since they were toddlers, the pair have used their competitive friendship to raise more money.
"We do have that competitive aspect with everything we do," James said.
Ben said it ended up improving the displays, as they worked hard to one-up each other every year.
"We thought that having two displays would be a really good platform where we can work together and use the competitive aspect of it as well to try and grow the displays as big as possible," he said.
They are considering expanding Christmas Lights for MS to other homes, and are trialling the program with another display this year.
"Hopefully we can expand that in years to come, to have many other Christmas light displays across the country. All joining us to raise money under the Christmas Lights for MS [banner]," Ben said.
Ben's display uses LED lights, and James's is solar-powered. They said there are numerous other houses in adjoining streets with big light displays, attracting huge crowds around Christmas time.
Ben's display runs from 8pm until late at Stacey Street, Gowrie. James's display starts when it gets dark (around 8pm) until late on Ruthven Street, Gowrie. Both displays will continue until Christmas day.
Raffle prizes include a signed Nick Kyrgios 2021 US Open kit, signed Canberra Raiders 2020 Indigenous Jersey, a $300 South Point Tuggeranong Gift Voucher and round of golf for four at Royal Canberra Golf Club.
- Find out more at www.doitforms.org.au/fundraiser/BenWalker/ChristmasLightsforMS or on Facebook.
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