Display Of Christmas Village Benefits Toys For Tots

It was six years ago that Jeff and Cassie Lauterette moved into a new, and larger, house in the Heather Knolls subdivision north of Hamilton. The next year, they took advantage of the larger space to continue the Christmas village they had constructed each year in their former home in Springfield. The displaywhich continued to grow over the past five years, this year adding a Lego replica of an Apple store, among other itemswill be open to the public Saturday, Dec. 14, in an effort to garner support for a favorite charity.

The move in 2007 was a big change for the Lauterettes. Their townhouse in Springfield was tiny, Jeff Lauterette recalled. A Realtor told him offered to find them a larger house. Not really serious, Laurette gave him an impossible list of wisheshad to be near a trail, must be at least three acres and 6,000 square feet or more in size, and must cost no more than $100,000 more than a sale of their current house would bring.

No one was more surprised than Lauterette when his friend called back within a week, and said, Ive got your house for you.

The Heather Knolls house had been owned by a Washington Redskins player who had left the area. The real estate market was sinking and the house was up for auction.

It was a little over 1,700 square feetmore like 6,300 square feet and it was 3.3 acres, Lauterette, said, laughing. It also cost $200,000 more than his Springfield house.

Never mindthe house came with lots of stuff, sports items and furniture and a $14,000 play set with stadium lights, all left behind by the previous owner. The house was so large Lauterette was able to move his consulting business into it.

At first, the Lauterette assembled their Christmas village in the living room, using small tables located around the room. They had a small party the first year, and, at the suggestion of a neighbor, then moved the display to its current location in the sunroom. After three years in that room, its almost outgrown that space, Lauterette said.

At first we had it on little coffee tables around the room, displaying a few houses. Then we kept adding houses each year. It got bigger and bigger, and so we had to use the dining room table; then it got too big to use the cords, we had different fuses and kept blowing them, he said. Today, the Lauterettes assemble 28 coffee tables to hold a display that fills the entire room.

The public viewing event really took off two years ago when the family started collecting donations for Toys for Tots, Lauterette said. Between 200 and 300 people came to see the display last year, as well as bring toys for the U.S. Marine Corps collection. The house is now an official Toys for Toys site.

This year, the Lauterettes will open their house 6-9 p.m. Saturday, for people to view the 350-square-foot Winter Wonderland Village, complete with animation, sound and lights. Sponsors, including the Leesburg Chick-Fil-A and Starbucks, Wegmans and a cider company from Winchester, will be on hand to provide food and refreshments for visitors and you can find the miniature retail centers of many of the sponsors lining the streets of the display village.

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Display Of Christmas Village Benefits Toys For Tots