ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. — One by one, 94-year-old Wallace Spencer, or “Mr. Christmas Lights,” started reading hundreds of cards and letters thanking him for his Christmas display.
"Dear Mr. Spencer, thank you for doing this cool Christmas lights,” one of the cards said.
Spencer exclaimed, “There’s a whole stack of them! I’ll be here all night."
For 30 years, Spencer’s lights have been shining in a spectacular Christmas display at his home on St. Simons Island.
The display has become a tradition for hundreds, if not thousands of people.
“I used to do it all by myself. that’s three to four years ago, but with my legs I can’t do it anymore,” Spencer said.
This year, his daughter Judy asked for everyone to write him letters.
“He lives for this. You know, he can’t be out here, so the cards were another way of him seeing everybody,” said Judy Spencer.
The community dropped off so many cards and letters for him, the Spencers had to get a second mailbox to make room for them all. And even then, his family had to empty them out three to four times a day.
“I was very happy to see them and I didn’t know anything about it,” explains Spencer.
He said he received over 300 cards, words that spell out how much light he brings to his neighborhood each year.
“They all say ‘Thank you for doing it,’ ‘Merry Christmas,’ ‘God bless you,’ and ‘Keep it up,’” Spencer said.
And for Mr. Christmas Lights, those kind words are quite possibly the best gift he’ll unwrap this year.