Taylah Eastwell
A breathtaking Christmas display in a Montrose family’s front garden is just the beginning of ways in which the compassionate family are lighting up the hearts of their local community.
Now in its third year, the Brasher family’s festive extravaganza lights up Montrose each year in memory of their son Corey, who passed away from an asthma attack on January 15 2018.
While dealing with their own heartbreak, Debbie Brasher and her family decided to begin the Christmas displays as a way to “make people smile”.
“It’s fun. I don’t do it for the thankyou, I prefer the smiles and the people that come and it makes their night,” Mrs Brasher said.
“We love talking to people. It’s good to get your emotions out, I have a good cry and have some favourites that come every year,” she said.
Titled ‘Lights on for Corey’, visitors to the free display have the option of purchasing a bell for their Christmas tree, with a poem that Mrs Brasher has created written on the back.
“This year it says, a bell to chime upon your tree, jingle it and think of me, in memory of Corey,” she said.
“I get heaps of people sending me pictures of them hanging their baubles on their tree and saying Corey is in our house this year.”
Mrs Brasher said the family raised $4,000 from visitors last year.
The proceeds were recently used to create 85 care packages and deliver 20 bouquets of flowers to care workers and community members in need of a pick-me-up during Covid lockdowns.
The care packages were delivered to residents of Montrose’s MiCare Retirement Village, equipped with fruit, handkerchiefs, toiletries, handcream, meal vouchers, homemade slices, chocolates, jigsaw puzzles and a scarf for each resident.
Mrs Brasher said she chose to give to the village as she missed seeing the residents out on their daily walks past her home while they were locked down.
“I see them walking around, they always walk up past our house and say hello and in Covid you didn’t see them, they were sort of locked up. It’s not fair, they couldn’t have their kids or visitors,” she said.
“When he (Premier Daniel Andrews) said the 5km rule was coming in two days I ran around like a crazy woman getting everyone a scarf and it’s so cute because I saw a lady walking down the street the other day and you could see her little scarf wrapped around her.”
Known to many as “Mrs Christmas”, Mrs Brasher’s generosity did not stop there.
“We had some care packages left over so I put the rest on Facebook and asked for nominations. People were nominating someone they thought deserved one,” she explained.
“I had so many coming to me I felt sorry for people and began making bouquets,” she said.
With help from the Little Flower Shoppe in Montrose, Mrs Brasher used the remainder of the funds to purchase 20 bouquets and have them delivered to local mums and grandmothers to brighten their days.
While the family haven’t yet decided where this year’s funds will go, the funds raised will without a doubt be used to benefit someone deserving in their local community.
Mrs Brasher has some incredible stories about locals enjoying her Christmas display, but fondly remembers one little girl who visited her in her first year of having the lights up.
“A gorgeous girl handed me a jar of her savings. She had one jar of money to keep, one to spend and one to give to a charity – and she gave it to me on the first year. I balled my eyes out it was so cute,” she said.
It’s the enjoyment of locals that drives the Brasher family to continue offering the display, which they have been working day and night to set up since October 8.
“The best thing is getting the kids in and seeing their smiles,” she said.
“I don’t want a lot of people there, I just want the few that are going to enjoy it. Especially after Covid we definitely need a bit of cheering up, so we hope it does that,” she said.
Santa visits the 858 Mt Dandenong Rd home from 8pm until 10pm each Saturday, where Covid friendly photographs can be taken for a gold coin donation.
There is also a Santa letterbox at the property where children who have been good this year can post their letters to the big man in red. Rumour has it that Santa always replies to letters from this mailbox as it drops straight down into the North Pole!
The display can be visited from 8pm until 10pm every night and remains lit up until late on Fridays and Saturdays.
