'Monticello Lights' raises more than $20,000 for Delmont VFD and Project Bundle Up

Delmont Volunteer Fire Department Chief Don Kline didn’t pull any punches when asked about his annual budget.

“The budget is whatever I’m able to raise,” Kline said. “We have two gun bashes each year, but we’ve lost a lot of events to covid, and we don’t receive borough money.”

That makes a donation of more than $10,000 — part of the money raised in Delmont’s Monticello neighborhood from its annual decorating competition — much more than a fun holiday fundraiser.

“Last year, I wasn’t sure if we’d make it through the winter,” Kline said. “So this is a very big deal.”

The second annual “Monticello Lights” competition, where visitors “voted” for their favorite decorating scheme by donating outside that house, raised just more than $20,500 split evenly between the fire department and the annual Project Bundle Up clothing drive.

A sopping-wet start to the two-day competition had neighbors worried at first, said Monticello Lights organizer Kelly Mazon.

“The weather Saturday did not cooperate,” she said.

There was a steady stream of cars, Mazon said, but nothing like opening night on 2020, when traffic backed up to Route 66.

“We crossed our fingers,” she said. “Then Sunday was just like last year.”

As neighbors began texting one another, Mazon said they began getting a sense they’d surpass last year’s total. But they didn’t anticipate bringing in an additional $5,000.

Likewise, Kline was not expecting a check for more than double that amount.

“We bought our last new fire truck in 1989, and, far as I can see, we’ll never own another new one,” he said. “We really appreciate them picking us to help out.”

This year’s competition saw several neighbors continuing the tradition of upping the ante, with winners Zack and Monica Bruno decking their halls with inflatables, including Santa Claus riding a dinosaur.

That tradition didn’t take long get renewed, Mazon said.

“When we were standing in the Brunos’ driveway taking the group photo, a group of guys were already talking and starting to plan for next year,” she said with a laugh.

For more on the annual competition and fundraiser, see MonticelloLights.com.