IU fans show spirit with holiday lights

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - A home in southwest Fort Wayne has received national attention for its holiday lights this year.

The Girardots are die hard Indiana University fans. They have decorated their home with the IU logo in lights accompanied by the sound of IU's fight song.

The new part about the display this year is the sound of IU's basketball team beating Kentucky at the last second during the December 11, 2011 game. The sound of Christian Watford hitting a 3-pointer at the buzzer which led to Indiana's 73 to 72 victory over top-ranked Kentucky, can be heard blaring from the Girardots home every night.

"We just so happened to be watching the game and as soon as the shot went off. You know we were excited, and as IU fans we were jumping up and down and we just thought that next year when we do our lights, that'd be a cool thing to put on there. We just figured people would enjoy it," said Missy Girardot, who puts the display together with her husband and children.

That added display got this house national attention. Video flew around Facebook and YouTube, going viral. So far, the video has more than 13,000 views on Facebook and more than 400,000 on YouTube. Indiana University has also asked to use video of their house in the annual alumni email.

Also, new to the display this year is the leg lamp from a Christmas story and a Santa hologram.

In all, the entire display costs around $10000, our sister station WANE reports.

Kris Girardot, Missy's husband, said the display takes the family about five weekends to set up, and they spend about eight hours per day working on it.

Girardot said he has been doing huge light displays like this for 15 years when he and his brother would decorate their parents house. People can drive by and see the full display at 13525 Plumbago Ct in Fort Wayne Monday through Thursday from 5:30 - 10:30 p.m. and on the weekends from 5:30 to around midnight.