Ryder Spick of Spick & Sons Projects is probably tiring of the Clark Griswold jokes by now, but that mild annoyance cannot lessen the feeling of pride he should have for bringing joy and wonder to our community.
Spick’s Christmas-themed truck and trailer may have had some residents thinking of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation when it rolled through their neighbourhood recently, lights blazing and holiday music blaring, but for most it was the kind of selfless, celebratory act that all communities need.
When Spick decided to set up at Willingdon Beach gravel lot on the evening of Sunday, December 20, for all of those who missed his truck’s rounds through town during the previous week, many residents offered to make donations towards what must be a hefty bill for labour, gas and power.
Spick said he would accept the donations, but would promptly disburse them to Friends of Powell River, a local networking group working to
help local children in poverty; a pleasant reminder the holiday
season doesn’t have to be driven by dollars.
Did we mention that Spick’s truck features more than 30,000 lights and took more than 300 hours to decorate? Imagine the effort he and his staff put into displaying that truck and trailer for the community.
The amount of feel-good vibes on a Facebook page created for the truck (facebook.com/RydersChristmasTruck) has been infectious the past couple of weeks; everyone involved in the project is so genuinely excited about giving back to Powell River during the holiday season.
After the early December cancellation of the annual Santa Parade on Marine Avenue due to high winds and heavy rain, the Christmas truck was exactly what was needed to get into the Christmas spirit.
While there were scattered complaints about the display being tacky at best or a waste of resources at worst, it was difficult not to marvel at 30,000 holiday lights slowly ambling down our streets.
More than $800 was raised Sunday night at Willingdon, along with a number of food and toy donations. More than that, Spick’s Christmas truck brought us all together this holiday season.
Griswold-esque or not, it was definitely a sight to behold and brought us many, many smiles.
Happy holidays, everyone.
