CHESAPEAKE, Va. — "People love it. We've had everybody from all over the Seven Cities come out," said Dennis Trapp of Chesapeake.
Dennis and his wife Cammie's home at 4009 Scotfield Drive is surrounded by strings of colorful lights, holiday decorations, homemade structures and even a snow machine.
"It's a good time. And obviously, we wanted to go after the National Lampoon's look. So, if you look around, you'll see cousin Eddie and Clark," Dennis said.
The Trapps have been decorating their Western Branch South home for the holiday for five years. But three years ago, they decided to open their hearts to a special cause.
"We tried to have a child for 18 years," Dennis said.
“When I got pregnant [in 2019], we wanted to pick a foundation centered around kids and a local foundation," Cammie said.
Their son, Luke, came into the world not much later.
"We help every single family in Hampton Roads who is diagnosed with pediatric cancer. But in the last few years, we've really expanded our programs," said Ashley Martin, director of marketing with Roc Solid Foundation.
Chesapeake-based Roc Solid Foundation helps young patients in the 757 and across the U.S. with its ready bag and playset program.
"They often can't interact with other kids because their immune systems are compromised," Martin added. "So, we give them a safe place to play in their backyards, and a lot of families tell us that these playsets, sometimes it's the first time these families are seeing their child smile in months."
The Trapps raised about $5,000 for Roc Solid in 2019 and 2020.
Last year, they were able to sponsor a playset for a Chicago-area girl named Tenley. Earlier this year, the Trapps also helped build a playset for a local firefighter's son.
This year, they've already raised more than $2,000.
"This is just for us to give back to the neighborhood and give back to the community. If you can donate and you can help, that's great. But if you can't, just come out and check them out," Dennis said.
You can stop by to see the lights any night of the week from about 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Weekend nights are even more festive, as some neighbors come out in costume and the snow machine is on for the kids to play.
The Trapp family also has online fundraising on this Facebook page.
Or, you can donate on the Roc Solid Foundation website.
If you visit the home, you'll find a scannable QR code you can use to donate electronically.