Delmont decorating fundraiser will be featured on NBC's 'Today' show

Since 2020, residents in Delmont’s Monticello neighborhood have decorated their homes to the hilt for the holiday season, part of a fundraising competition that allows them to present an annual gift to two local charities.

On Christmas Day, they will get their own gift — a nationally televised segment on NBC’s “Today” show.

“It’s great to be part of it,” said Monticello resident Joe Hanna. “It’s kind of crazy how it’s all come about over the past few years.”

During covid, Monticello residents decided to forgo their longstanding indoor neighborhood Christmas party in favor of an outdoor decorating competition. Anyone driving through the neighborhood the evening of Dec. 9-10 can choose their favorite decorating scheme and donate outside that home, or through the Venmo app.

Each year, half the proceeds go to WTAE’s Project Bundle Up, and half go to a local Delmont group. Over the years that has included the Delmont Public Library, the Delmont Volunteer Fire Department, and this year the borough’s parks and recreation committee.

The first year, traffic was backed up for more than a mile along Route 66 as people streamed into the neighborhood to see everything from classic decorations to over-the-top lighting schemes coordinated with FM radio music.

This year, the competition garnered attention from the longtime NBC morning program.

“They reached out to my neighbor through our social media,” said Kelly Mazon of Delmont. “The producer was looking for (holiday) stories and we came up.”

“Today” show film crews will be in the neighborhood on Monday, and the taped segment will air on Christmas Day.

“We’re just really excited that it will draw attention to the need charities at large have,” Mazon said. “There are so many local libraries and fire departments that need the support of their communities, and we hope it inspires other communities to do something similar.”

Monticello resident Denni Grassel said it has been wonderful to see the return of the type of one-on-one contact that was so prevalent before the covid pandemic.

“We lost some of that, but now everyone is out at the end of their driveways, talking to the people driving through and wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas,” Grassel said. “It’s a thrill and an honor to be able to give back. It’s such a small town, but it’s something that we can do as a smaller community. And everyone gets excited about it.”

The Monticello Lights competition is from 6-9 p.m. this weekend on Monticello Drive.

For more, see MonticelloLights.org.