Ashley McLimore and her husband Austin love Christmas. Every year they drive to different areas of the city to see the Christmas lights people have displayed and to celebrate the Christmas season with their kids.
For 14 years, they have also been decorating the outside of their home and creating a display, adding a little bit each year to their yard display, according to Ashley.
Ashley has an established photography business, Tomorrow’s Keepsake Photography, that she runs in a studio next to her home and for the past three years, she has offered Santa Sessions to her clients. Her kids dress as elves and serve hot cocoa and cookies with the proceeds benefiting Christmas Wish or a local family the McLimores adopted as a family in need during the season.
“I’ve often offered Grinch pictures in combination to these Santa Sessions, but this year we decided to do something a little different to give back to our community,” Ashley said.
This year, McLimore decided to host a fundraiser to benefit Christmas Wish. She posted the information as a Facebook event and also told her clients.
“We are opening the photography studio for those who are interested in taking their own picture with the Grinch,” Ashley said. “We figured this was a great way to share our love of Christmas with our community as well as giving back. We want people to come enjoy our light show while having some fun with the Grinch.”
According to Ashley, 100 percent of the money raised will benefit the local Christmas Wish.
On Wednesday, Dec. 5 from 5 to 7 p.m., people interested in taking their own pictures with the Grinch, the hot cocoa booth or using the outside lighting display as a background will be able to for a donation to Christmas Wish. Their elves will also be serving hot cocoa and cookies from the cocoa booth again this year.
The McLimores are the corner house on East Harmons Ferry Road and Buck Creek Church Road in Utica.
