WELLS — After finishing the turkey and stuffing remnants of Thanksgiving, many are ready for the annual trek to the corners of a attic or basement to dig out the holiday decorations ”“ chief among them, strands of Christmas lights.

But for people like Stan Norton and Gabriel Letourneau, the process of planning and placing all of their holiday lights is an effort spanning long hours over many months.

At their home on Canterbury Road in Wells, Stan, his wife Melissa and their children Reed and Ryan prepare for their annual holiday lights display nearly year-round. With more than 20,000 lights on display, which need to be programmed and placed, the work takes between 40 and 60 hours. But  that the result, a vast display of flashing lights blinking in perfect synchronization to music that visitors can tune in on their car radios at 88.9 FM, is worth the effort.

Norton Lights was born four years ago from a “friendly competition” between Stan and his brother as to who could set up the best lights display. The two decided that with all of the visitors they should also a take collection for a good cause. That year, they made several trips to St. Mary’s food pantry in Wells with all of the donated goods.

In recent years, the display has grown to incorporate music, which Stan and 12-year-old Reed spend hours programming on their computer to control the timing of the lights.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation will benefit from the many hours of work the Norton family dedicates this year. By the end of last week, the family had collected about $1,000 in contributions left in a locked box at the end of their driveway, and by the end of the season they hope to have raised $6,000 for the organization.

“Christmas is about magic and miracles, and Make-A-Wish ties in with that,” Melissa said at her home on Wednesday. “Everything about it is great.”

Reed and Ryan agree.

“I like watching when it’s all done,” Ryan, 9, said. Ryan also tracks how much money they have collected for Make-A-Wish by inputting donations on a spreadsheet he designed.

Reed said he has also learned a lot about computer programming working with his fathter to program the display. Both said they get a lot of feedback at school from friends and faculty with all of the attention the show has received.

“My teachers say, ”˜I saw you in the newspaper,’” Ryan said.

And the Nortons have not shied from all the attention. Stan said the process and end result is a lot of fun and will continue to grow.

“At first it was a hobby, and now it’s an obsession,” Stan said Wednesday, clad in a red Santa jacket.

When he sees the joy in people’s eyes and hears their reactions, it makes the many hours worth it, he said.

Thornton Academy student Gabriel Letourneau, 14, started a similar display this year after hours and hours of programming through the summer and fall to prepare for setting up the display this winter. Letourneau also broadcasts holiday songs from his Sullivan Lane home in Saco for visitors to tune in and enjoy his show.

After seeing a video of a lights display in 2005, Letourneau said he was hooked.

“As soon as I saw it, I knew I wanted to know how to do it,” Letourneau said Friday. “The overall product is really cool.”

The attention has not been so bad, either. Letourneau appeared on the cover of Thornton’s student newspaper “Carpe Diem” and had a spot in another local newspaper ”“ and traffic has been picking up, he said.

Letourneau is also hoping a local charity will benefit from his hard work. He has a collection box outside his home as well, and all donations will benefit the Maine Cancer Foundation. Letourneau said visitors can tune their radios to 107.1 FM to hear the music paired with his display.

In Arundel, Linda and Jerry Croteau have not spent hours programming, but have spent a lot of time preparing the colorful display on their lawn and porch as they have for many years. At their home on Proctor Road, the front porch is covered with Christmas creatures, many of which move and become animated. The Croteaus also play holiday music for passersby to hear.

Their display has grown from a love of holiday decorations and a desire to delight their grandchildren, Linda said Thursday.

“We do it for fun and for the kids,” Jerry said.

More than 3,000 lights make up the display, which includes snowmen, a large, lighted “NOEL” and trees. They typically keep the lights on from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Although the displays take many hours to plan for and complete, their creators agree, the reaction from visitors and a chance to help others in need during the holiday season is why they put in the work year after year.

— For more information about Norton Lights visit www.nortonlights.com. Staff Writer Robyn Burnham can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 329 or rburnham@journaltribune.com.