GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The holiday season is all about giving, and a high school student is looking to do just that this year. A NorthPointe Christian junior is putting on a light at his house in Grand Rapids to give back to his school.
Josh Farmer has worked towards this spectacular light show for almost a month.
"So, 50,000 is our new record," Farmer told FOX 17.
You can catch his joyous work on the corner of Knapp Street and Ball Avenue.
"This is my favorite one," Farmer said, "because he is playing the saxophone."
It hasn't been all that joyous for the teenager this year because, like many, he lost a loved one to COVID. Josh lost his grandma, the woman who took him in years ago at her home in Mississippi.
"I was really close to my grandma," he said. "She pretty much took care of everything down there, and when she passed, it kind of took a toll on everybody."
Thankfully, Josh's brother Robert, who he hasn't seen in years, heard about her passing. Robert asked his adopted family what they could do.
Well, the family decided to have the brothers all under one roof here in Michigan. With each light hanging from this roof, Josh still thinks about his grandma.
"Definitely because she had a village outside and did blowups and decorated a lot," Farmer said.
That saxophone snowman in the front lawn has a special place in Farmer's heart because he has a passion for jazz himself.
He even plays in his high school band. After one semester at his new school, he wants to collect enough donations to green-light the construction of a new band room.
"We don't have many kids, but that's OK because we are a really good band, but their band hall is kind of small, but we need to have room to put instruments. Also, more space for kids coming into the band," he said.
Josh hopes to have enough money raised to play in the new band room by his senior year.
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