Colorado Springs man collects more than 2,000 pounds of donations through light display

Thanks to an elaborate display of Christmas lights and an outpouring of support, a Colorado Springs man collected more than 2,000 pounds of donations.

Mark Ingles received 2,256 pounds of donations in 2019, exceeding his goal of 2,000 pounds! The donations were provided to Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado. Ingle provided the update to 11 News on Thursday.

The light display was set up near the corner of Barnes and Peterson along Nugent Drive, his glowing red house draws a lot of attention each year.

“It takes a lot of time, and it’s a lot of lights,” Mark Ingles said back in December.

His home on Nugent Drive stands out from his neighbors. Thousands of lights have taken over his house and yard, and Christmas music plays through the air.

“It’s about 120 hours that I do, and I start usually right after Halloween because I need that time,” Ingles said. “I think it’s over 6,000 lights or more.”

On the side of his driveway, a container is illuminated. Inside, it’s full of nonperishable food donations. In 2018, he received 1,649 pounds of food.

Ingles has been setting up extravagant Christmas light displays for years. For the last five, he’s partnered with Care and Share Food Bank of Southern Colorado to collect food donations.

“We’re always delighted when somebody steps forward to help us in our work to feed people, but Mark’s creative approach to that is just so fun,” said Lynne Telford, CEO of Care and Share.

Around the holidays, Telford said the food donations are especially important.

“There is a greater need when kids aren’t in school and getting free and reduced school lunches and breakfasts,” she said. “We worry about them a lot, and so it’s just wonderful to get a little influx of food so that we can serve them.”

Ingles said the community has always been very generous.

“The community is great. When I’m out here and people drive by, they are not only excited about seeing the display, especially the kids, but the adults love it too. But also, the fact that I’m doing it with Care and Share, they know it’s for a really, really good cause and that it’s helping to meet the needs of some of the people that just do not have much,” he said. “So to be a little part of that is, to me, tremendous. Not only does it make me feel good, but it makes the people that come by feel good because they’re giving to something that’s really great.”