DAVENPORT, Iowa — If you drive past 915 Idaho Ave. in Davenport, you'll be able to catch a glimpse of Brayden Mildren's winter wonderland. It's an annual project he works on with his father, Bill.
"I like doing it and setting all the stuff up," Brayden said.
"The process is a long time, we take a little bit over three weeks. This year took a little bit longer," his father Bill Mildren said.
Brayden's passion for the Christmas inflatables began when he was four years old, and every year, he keeps adding to his collection. Just a few years ago, he received a big donation from a family friend — a 33-foot-tall Santa Claus.
The inflatables make take a while to set up, but don't worry. The cost isn't cutting into the family's wallet.
"A lot of these are LEDs," Bill said. "It's not as bad as we think it is, so it's gonna raise us up between right around $80 to $100 from what it already is."
That's the price tag that the family is more than happy to foot the bill for, in exchange for fulfilling a special holiday purpose.
"I don't do it just for myself or my family, I just do it to make everyone happy if they're going through hard time, or they're going through times that they can't and they just need a smile on their face," Brayden said.
Brayden's gift to his neighbors also leads to gifts for him, most of which are Legos. But those building blocks will soon find a new home once they're donated to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital in Iowa City.
While the holiday season won't stick around forever, Brayden said the tradition won't be going away anytime soon.
"'Till my parents kick me out," Brayden said.
Brayden and his family will host a fundraising event at their home on Saturday, Dec. 16 beginning at 5 p.m., where they will be accepting donations of Legos for the The first 100 children to arrive will receive a gift bag.
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