Mapleton man lights homes for people in need during the holiday season

MAPLETON — Houses across Utah County are being lit up this holiday season, courtesy of one man who wants to give back.

Tony Emerine has made it his mission to decorate the homes of individuals and families in need during the holiday season for the past six years. Many of his recipients are dealing with the impacts of terminal illness.

"About six years ago, I had a lady approach me, asking if I'd be willing to come and light a kid's house for free because he had terminal cancer," said Emerine, who owns a company that hangs lights during the holidays. "I jumped at the chance because of the simple fact that my best friend Bobby passed from leukemia when we were kids."

Emerine spoke about the experience when he was younger, describing how the disease and subsequent loss of his friend affected him.

"(Bobby) had cancer when we were in third grade, and he passed when we were in fifth grade," Emerine recalled. "I used to go over every day to spend time with him and play Atari. Once he was getting bad, we helped do a fundraiser for him to go to Disney World. When he got back, he called me to come over. When I got there and visited him, he gave me a hug and told me he loved me and that I was his best friend. He then said, 'My dad will be calling you in the morning to let you know I have passed.' The next morning at 5 a.m., we received the call that he had passed and I looked at my mom and I said he was God's true angel and now he will look over me."

For the past six years, Emerine said he has drawn on his experience to find people and families he can help bring a little light to during the holiday season. He calls it "Christmas for Cancer," and he and many of his employees donate time and money each year to make that happen.

"We try to do between two and four, at least, every year. If we can afford more, we'll do more," Emerine said.

One recipient of Emerine's Christmas for Cancer lights was the Page family in Eagle Mountain, whose son Wyatt Page passed away from brain cancer in 2020 at the age of 12. Wyatt's dad, Doug Page, said that receiving lights during their time of trial hsa brought much-needed joy to their home.

"Wyatt was a huge BYU fan, and Tony decorated the house in blue and white and built a BYU logo, which was amazing," Doug Page said. "Tony was a big part of making Wyatt's last days joyful. We still use the lights and put them up every year, and we leave them up until the 14th of January, which is Wyatt's 'angelversary' date. We leave them up through the entire week of the 14th as a tribute to him. It's really neat to see the lights up because it reminds us of him every time we put them out.

"We're grateful for Tony and all he does to help families who are in similar circumstances," he continued. "It does bring a bit of joy and distraction to those of us who are going through something hard."

Emerine has a large holiday display at his home in Mapleton that is free to the public. He said that as word has spread about his lights, many have donated to the cause.

"I have brought in around $400 to $500 hundred so far (this year) from people wanting to donate to help us light people's houses for free," he said. "It just made my heart whole knowing next year we will be able to do a couple more houses for kids and families fighting cancer."

Emerine said his goal is to give a gift that keeps on giving every year and hopes to continue doing so as the years go on.

"We tell the people we get to serve, thank you for letting us do it," Emerine said. "We don't ever want them to feel like they have to take a picture so we can post it. We don't want them to feel like a charity case or that we're trying to use them for that. We're just out there to brighten their day. We donate the lights, the timers — everything that goes to teach one of their houses is theirs. We don't come back and take something that we give. We are here donating our time to do good and not to come back and take it away."

Emerine's display is located at 198 N. 800 West Street in Mapleton, and is open from 5:15 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. through New Year's Day. He said his display is always free to view, but any donations will help more families in need.

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