Lynette and Clinton Hamblin live in the official Disney UP house in Herriman and have found a way to use it to raise money for charity each holiday season.
“So, we wanted to do something to give back during the holidays and we were thinking about it and we get a lot of attention for our house and we thought what better organization to work with than people who help the homeless,” Clinton Hamblin says.
This weekend was their sixth annual pictures with Santa charity event for The Road Home.
Hamblin continues, “We just want to bring some of that attention that comes to our house, bring that awareness and attention to those that are out in this cold all the time, they don't have a roof over their head and The Road Home provides that for them.”
Each year, families, and Disney fans alike can donate ten dollars to The Road Home in exchange for a picture with Santa in front of the up house.
Peter Chamberlain, Board of Trustees for the Road Home, explained how the money is used, “The ten-dollar donation that they get will be able to house one person for one night. It costs about 12 dollars per night per person to give somebody shelter so every picture here is about one person in shelter a night.”
The UP house has raised around a thousand dollars per year in the past but this year it more than doubled that due to the overwhelming turnout. Heroic, the costumed charity organization, even volunteered their services to visit and take pictures with those waiting in line.
The Hamblin family looks forward to continuing to bring more Disney magic and spirit of giving in the coming holiday seasons.