Family’s Yule Display Nets Food for Needy

When families decorate the yard for Christmas, most don’t need a cherry picker.

The Adrians of Moorpark did. How else were they going to string some of their 25,000 lights through the palm trees?

The Adrians have turned their house on Candlewood Court into a miniature holiday tourist attraction, complete with a nativity scene and weekend visits from Santa.

But the decorations serve a purpose. Gawkers are encouraged to bring nonperishable food that will be distributed, through Simi Valley’s Sonrise Christian Fellowship, to needy area residents, Tim Adrian said.

So far, the church has picked up more than 2,000 cans of food, said Tim, 15. “We’ve got another couple hundred in the garage,� he said. “People have been really generous.�

The family hit on the idea after last year’s Christmas display--a mere 10,000 lights--drew a steady stream of spectators, Tim said.

This year, Tim and his father, Bill, strung even more lights around the house and yard. The whole family, including Tim’s mother, Ann, and younger sisters Julie and Mary, spent about four weekends carving a wooden nativity scene.

On weekend evenings, Bill Adrian dresses as Santa and visits with children who have come to look at the lights.

Those hoping for a visit with Saint Nick should stop by the house from 7 to 10 p.m. tonight or Saturday, or between 6 and 9 p.m. Sunday. The address is 13567 Candlewood Court.