N E W S DECEMBER 10 L E H A V R E Photo courtesy ABC/FremantleMedia North America The Lynch family of Whitestone won ABC’s “The Great Christmas Light Fight” and $50,000. WHITESTONE WINNERS Lynch family takes top prize in ‘The Great Christmas Light Fight’ Bayside kids GIVE FROM THE HEART BY MELISSA CHAN When life gives you lemons, start up a lemonade stand. That’s what Olivia Esposito, 8, and Paul Esposito, 6, did out of their apartment building’s basement on December 8. The Bayside siblings raised $922 for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, a national charity organization that benefi ts pediatric cancer awareness, at The Towers at Water’s Edge’s community center. “I want to help out,” said Paul, a first grader at Sacred Heart School. The youngsters enthusiastically doled out cup after cup of lemonade for two hours to about 50 residents, according to their mom, Anne Marie Esposito. The stand was set up to honor Anne Marie’s late sister, Ellen Medici, who died at age fi ve from a brain tumor. “I’m really touched by all the people who have been so generous,” Anne Marie said. “I wanted the kids to learn a simple but powerful message to give back from their hearts. It’s very important for them to learn, especially in the times we live in.” Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation was started in 2005 in memory of Alexandra Scott, who died of cancer at age 8. Since then, the foundation has raised more than $65 million to help fund more than 375 research projects. “I’m very proud of them, and they’re proud to do it,” Anne Marie said of her proactive kids. “They want a cure, just as Alex wanted a cure.” To donate, visit www. a l e x s l e m o n a d e . o r g / mypage/117844. Olivia and Paul Esposito, 8 and 6, raised more than $900 toward pediatric cancer research. 10 LEHAVRE COURIER | DECEMBER 2013 | WWW.QUEENSCOURIER.COM THE COURIER/Photo by Melissa Chan BY MELISSA CHAN The brightest house in Queens outshone three others in the country this week. The Lynch family from Whitestone won ABC’s “The Great Christmas Light Fight” and $50,000 on December 9, beating stiff competition from homes in California, Virginia and Georgia. “I was jumping, screaming. I went crazy,” said Kevin Lynch, 55. “After the show was over, every single one of my neighbors was on the block. People are coming by, honking their horns.” The new reality competition series pits four families against each other nationwide. They each have 20 days to come up with the most elaborate Christmas decoration designs. “For me to do this in three weeks was tough,” said Lynch, a retired New York City fi refi ghter. “It’s like running a marathon.” The father of three covered his home at 166-04 23rd Avenue with a blanket of at least 300,000 lights — all with underground wires — and more than 100 animatronics. There is even a projected Santa Claus, waving from the second-story window. “I lived on coffee and espresso. I didn’t even eat until 1 o’clock in the morning,” Lynch said. “By 1 o’clock, I was dead. I couldn’t move. I’d pass out, take the kids to school, come back and do lights.” That became the routine from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. for three straight weeks. The over-the-top end result blew away Michael Moloney of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” who judged the competition on use of lights, overall design and Christmas spirit. The display, with its vintage items and “childlike” décor, was “classy” and “magical,” Moloney said. “This whole family clearly has Christmas spirit,” he said. The Lynch family has devoted 17 years to lavishly decorating their home, which was chosen by ABC through an extensive nationwide search, according to the network. “We’re ecstatic. We’re thrilled, shocked,” said wife Tina Lynch. Even before filming the show, the Whitestone light site was a tourist destination and backdrop for wedding pictures, the family said. “People come here from all over and send us Christmas cards with our house in them. It gets crazy here, but it’s all in good faith, all in good fun,” Lynch said. The series continues December 16 and 23 with 16 more competing homes. As for how much it costs to dazzle the nation for a month, Lynch said he would gladly show his electric bill — to anyone willing to pay it.
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