BRIER - For a decade, neighbors in Brier's Timberline Park development have put up elaborate holiday lights for everyone to enjoy, in exchange for a donation to the Lynnwood Food Bank.

Last year, they raised more than $28,000 and collected 11,000 pounds of food for charity. But this year, bad weather delayed donations and the neighbors are trying desperately to make up for lost time

The day after the neighborhood turned on the lights, the snow and ice storm hit. So all of the decorations were up, but it wasn't safe for people to drive in and see them.

For five days, they were snowed in and the donations were snowed out.

"We thought when we put the box up for the first year we had no concept," said Gwendine Norton, one of the homeowners in the complex. "We thought if we got a couple hundred dollars that would be an awesome contribution."

The neighbors thought thousands would be a Christmas miracle -- and that's what's happened, with $28,000 last year.

"It was kind of unbelievable," said Peg Amarok with the Lynnwood Food Bank. "Something I never expected to happen. We were used to smaller donations, and so it was just a shock."

The Brier lights now take care of a third of the food bank's expenses. So that motivated the neighbors again this year-- in the pouring November rain -- to put up all the lights for a full month-- hoping to do it all over again.

But their winter land turned way too real. "Real" snow fell hard, and real icicles coated everything -- including the roads.

And so, Timberline Park went dark.

"This hill is so steep that if we'd left the lights on, it would invite people to come in and view them," Norton said. "It was too dangerous so we had to turn all of out lights off on the second night."

The lights stayed off for 5 days and donations went with them. Now they're $20,000 and 6,000 pounds of food shy of last year. Making up for lost time is atop of their Christmas list.

"The kids are even talking to the kids saying come out," said homeowner Kelly Rodgers. "Bring your parents and go through the neighborhood. "The community normally comes through for us and the food bank so we'll see."

The lighting display is located in the 3700 block of 228th Street SW. The lights are on from 5-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and they stay on until 11p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. They have also been a perennial favorite of our annual Pool's Parade of Lights feature.

You can find more information on the Brier Lights display, as well as several other local displays on our Pool's Parade of Lights Web site

And in case you're wondering how much the Timberline Park electric bills are, the most expensive one was $1,400. They say that's their contribution to the cause.