A Franklin boy’s festive Christmas display has netted him about $1,000 in donations that he plans to pass on to Precious Paws Animal Rescue in memory of the family’s dog.
Blustery winds Tuesday knocked down some of the 38 blow-up decorations lining the Cisek family home at 1230 Elk St. in Franklin, but an energetic Will Cisek, 7, the son of Jennifer and Bill Cisek, whacked the inflatables with a stick to stand them upright.
“He (Will) usually turns everything on at about three o’clock each afternoon, and he comes out and maintains everything,” Jennifer Cisek said.
After all, it’s an award-winning display as the Cisek family won “largest display” in Franklin’s “Get Lit” Christmas decoration competition. The family received $250.
“So, we donated that to Precious Paws,” Jennifer Cisek said.
Jennifer said that with some gentle prodding, Will decided that donating the money they have raised to Precious Paws was fitting after the Ciseks had lost their dog, Scarlet, back in July.
If he had kept the money to himself, Will said he would buy “a house with a jet bathtub.”
Jennifer Cisek said she makes sure her son knows the importance of giving.
Precious Paws President Theresa Weldon said the Franklin based non-profit will use most of the donation for the Oscar Fund, which helps sick, injured or abused animals that might otherwise be euthanized due to a lack of funds.
“It’s a very nice and unexpected, wonderful thing that he did,” Weldon said. “It’s especially heartening for younger kids to take it upon themselves to care for others and their animals.”
The “blow-up extravaganza” started about three or four years ago in the family’s backyard, Jennifer Cisek said.
“People just started giving him blow-ups…as you know, you give a kid blow-ups,” she said.
In years past when the Christmas blow-ups were mostly contained inside the backyard, Jennifer said Will tried to give tours of his display.
“He tried to make it a business thing,” she said with a laugh.
This year, the Ciseks decided to set up the Christmas displays along the alleyway at their home and invited people to walk or drive through and enjoy the decorations.
After some people offered to give donations, Jennifer Cisek said they set up a donation box, and they are also giving all the donations, which so far total about $1,000, to Precious Paws.
“You don’t have to leave a donation…it’s just fun to hear the people walk through,” she said.
Jennifer Cisek said about 30 people have visited Will’s alleyway display each night. She said one person even told them he had come through every night on his way home from work.
Will’s extravaganza will stay up until shortly after the new year, and Jennifer Cisek said people are still welcome to see the display. There are even some new blow-ups to see that were Will’s Christmas gifts, including an inflatable Santa on a tractor and Santa in a hunting blind.
And there’s always the oldest blow-up in the collection to be on the lookout for – Frosty the Snowman.
