Lights Display In Midlothian Draws Food Collection For The Needy

MIDLOTHIAN, IL — The dazzling Christmas lights display near 147th and Pulaski in Midlothian is back this year, and the Bremen High School student who runs it looks to gather even more food for the needy from spectators who pass by.

Opening night for the Gluszek Christmas Food Drive & Light Show at 3939 W. 147th Pl. was Nov. 29. The display will run every night until New Year's Eve beginning at 5 p.m. and go throughout the night.

It's put on by Dylan Gluszek, a junior at Bremen who has a passion to give back to the community that helped him and his family when it was needed.

For years, Gluszek has set up lights and decorations in his yard and recently began synchronizing them to Christmas tunes. He has added 3,000 lights to the display this year, making it the most robust show yet.

Gluszek asks those who show up to bring one non-perishable food item and put it in a collection box in the front yard. At the end of the year, he will take all of the food and donate it to local food pantries and the homeless.

In 2018 Gluszek collected more than 6,000 pounds of food and has a goal to collect 10,000 pounds of food this year.