See the Massive Holiday Light Show One Family Dedicated to Recovering Addicts

BEL AIR, MD - One of Bel Air’s best holiday light shows comes with a new element this year.

Jim Kurtz, who has delighted audiences with his Christmas display for the past five years—and received national attention for his rendition of “Call Me Maybe” in 2012—has introduced a dedication for 2015.

This year’s display includes 16,000 lights on four houses, which Kurtz controls from a laptop in his Amyclae home. And before one of the songs set to music, there’s a shout-out to thousands of people, including the town of Bel Air.

• Neighbors Combine for “Let It Go” Christmas Light Display
• 20,000 LEDs Light Up Churchville Road

“We’d like to bring focus to the tens of thousands of Americans who suffer from the disease of addiction. Try to remember that their recovery from this disease is a lifelong battle,” says a voice before the lights come on to the tune of Fight Song, the fifth track in this year’s display. “With that in mind, this next song goes out to our daughter Caroline and to everyone in Bel Air, Md.; Delray Beach, Fla.; Lamont, Ill.; and Moscow, Pa., who fight every day to take back their lives. We ask that you pray for them and for their long-term recovery.”

According to Kurtz, the locations mentioned are all places where his 23-year-old daughter has worked on her recovery from drug addiction.

“Over the past five years, we’ve had a lot of parents and their children watch the light display. Given all the experiences with our daughter’s addiction over the past four years, we thought this year we would use the display to acknowledge her and try to bring awareness to the disease that so many suffer from,” Kurtz said.

Harford County government officials are also working to bring the issue out of the shadows, tallying heroin overdoses on billboards and informing parents countywide about the reality and prevalence of addiction.

• Harford Tallies Heroin Overdoses to Raise Awareness
• $120K Heroin Grant to Fund Heroin Problem in Harford County

Before flipping the switch on the light show on Dec. 6, Kurtz said that he got the OK from his daughter to include mention of her struggle.

In addition to Fight Song, this year’s presentation includes holiday favorites like The Nutcracker and the ever-so-popular Let It Go.

“The light show is a way for us to put a smile on people’s faces during Christmas,” Kurtz said, telling Patch the response so far has been positive.

In fact, he said that he received a thank-you note in his mailbox within one day of the show’s opening.

The letter thanked Caroline Kurtz for being an inspiration and expressed gratitude to the Kurtz family for shedding light on an epidemic. It was written by someone in the first week of sobriety, “which doesn’t seem like much—but you know how hard it is,” the note said.

The Harford County Health Department offers a host of resources for those concerned about addiction.

The show at 1205 Corinthian Court in Bel Air runs from Dec. 6 to Dec. 31. Hours are 5–9 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday; and 5–10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.