Christmas lights can be seen across the Lehigh Valley as folks gear up for the holiday season. But on the corner of Front and Franklin streets in Whitehall, one house stands brighter in the name of charity.

Joe Polenchar and his wife, Carol, have been putting on light shows at their residence, 36 Franklin St., for seven years. Expect this year to be the biggest one yet.

“It started out as just a hobby,” Polenchar said. “We wanted to see if we could make lights dance to music after seeing it on the Internet. The first two years, it was for family, grandchildren and the neighborhood, but soon we started to realize people were coming from all over to see the lights dance!”

The attention of the Polenchar house grew as it was included in a list of spectacular lights displays in a local daily newspaper.

“With [the reporter’s] encouragement, we realized we could put the light show to good use by collecting for Second Harvest Food Bank,” Polenchar said. “He featured us for three years in his light show, and we appeared once on the RCN broadcast of the top five light shows in the Valley.

“This is our fourth year working with Second Harvest, and each year, donations have increased due to more exposure from the media. Our slogan is ‘Help feed the hungry one can at a time!’” Polenchar said.

Located just minutes from Lehigh Valley Mall, the home setup takes a long time for the couple to build, but the duo takes immense pride in their show.

“All of the props are handmade. It’s not something you can buy off the shelf. They are all hand-wrapped with the lights. We keep the zip-tie people in business!” Polenchar joked.

“Programming the songs and coordinating them with the lights is an arduous task. It takes anywhere from three days to two weeks to program just one song. We have over 40 songs programmed,” Polenchar said. “It’s an ongoing task. We add something new to it every year. We are also 100-percent LED with our lights to save energy.”

Some of the new displays involved this year include a 4-foot-by-4-foot four-channel star; a second blue and white 24-channel, 8-foot mega tree with strobes; and seven chasing snowflakes.

Smack dab in the center of the display is a lighted sign with a “wish list” of items. Two waterproof containers are placed underneath to accept food donations for Second Harvest Food Bank, but the couple also accepts monetary donations or checks that are made out to Second Harvest Food Bank.

“Our first year with Second Harvest, we collected $50 and 50 pounds of food; the second year, we collected $100 with 125 pounds of food; and last year, we collected $75 and 325 pounds of food. Not bad for a grandma and grandpa!” Polenchar said.

Shows at the Polenchar residence run nightly until Jan. 1 - 6-9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 6-10:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

The Polenchars also are very excited to announce a live Santa will be visiting the display 7-9 p.m. Dec. 16 and 17. Santa will be handing out candy canes to all those who stop by for a visit. The Polenchars hope the Santa visit will encourage people to get in the giving spirit for Second Harvest Food Bank.

“We’re just average, ordinary, everyday people who realized an opportunity to help those in need,” Polenchar said. “We wish you and yours a happy holiday season and hope to see you soon!”