TOWAMENCIN – Externally, the broad shouldered, bare headed Joe Drelick looks like a husky brawler; internally he cries at the end of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” That juxtaposition would seem to make for a rather complex individual, but in actuality there is little complexity to what makes Drelick tick. He simply lives to inspire others, whether it is as a father, a baseball coach, or an expert in exterior illumination. And this year the self proclaimed George Bailey of Towamencin Township will undoubtedly inspire smiles in thousands all over the country as his family’s Christmas light display at 1800 Dutchman’s Circle will be broadcast on national television.

ABC’s The Great Christmas Light Fight, airing  in December for its third season, selected the Drelick family as one of 24 Christmas light displays out of the 500 original entries for a spot on the popular ABC holiday program. At stake among the competitors in each episode is a $50,000 grand prize awarded to the family whose house is most impressive.

“We sent in a video two years ago, and last year, after the second season, they called us and said, ‘We love your house,'” explained Drelick. “It was December 22, 2014 when they asked us to send them a video.”

The last year has been a whirlwind for the Drelicks with Skype interviews, videos, and constant communication with ABC. On August 9th, they found out they were selected for the show, were told ABC would be out one month later to do some initial taping, and that they had to have the entire display up and ready to go by October 12th.

On the night ABC taped the Drelick’s portion of the show, 350 people signed waivers as members of the audience of onlookers, and Liberty Bell Drive and Dutchmans Circle became a sea of community members, family, and friends there to share in the Drelick’s moment.

“It was overwhelming. It actually made me cry. Forget the money, forget the lights. It was the people coming out to support me. That meant a lot,” reflected Drelick.

All told, ABC recorded over 12 hours of footage, which will be condensed into a 14 minute segment, which has left the Drelicks anxiously wondering what all will be included when the show airs, including a cheesesteak scene that plays up on the Philly angle, a scene that Drelick has no idea if he will end up seeing once the final edits have been put together.

While the actual show had to come together very quickly over the last 4 months, the Drelick history with Christmas light displays has a long past leading up to this moment of national acclaim. While their home in Towamencin has displayed their Christmas lights for 18 years, it all started when Drelick was a kid living in Ambler in 1983.

“Before I was 13 years old we never had Christmas lights up, but we had them down in the basement and I just wanted to put them up. So my parents went out to dinner one night and I put up one set of lights and some bells. That was 1983. It pretty much grew from there. The one interesting fact is the set of bells we put up in 1983 is still part of this display, and for all 33 years, those bells have been part of this display,” explained Drelick.

For Drelick, while the national attention will be fun, and they will have a full house when the show airs on December 7th, the Christmas light displays grow from a pure love of Christmas and an undeniable energy and desire to make people happy.

“I was one of those kids that Christmas just hit me. It would hit me in October. For some reason it really got me. The one thing I think that gets me the most about Christmas is how it makes people feel. The world is just a nicer place. People are happier. It’s kind of my personality all year long, and then the month of Christmas people catch up to me,” Drelick quipped. “The lights were always put up for enjoyment. I knew when people saw them, the lights would make them feel better.”

The castles, Phillies train, Philadelphia skyline, push-button controls for the public, vintage plastic yard ornaments, and of course the strings of lights certainly don’t put themselves up though. For 33 years, the transformation of the Drelick house into a Griswold worthy showpiece has been a family affair. Drelick’s father, now 79 years young, still helps erect the display and build the structures, and his wife Tracey, daughter Jordynn , 17, and son Jake, 14, are all hands on deck when it comes to the holiday season.

It is not difficult to see that Jake, a freshman at Pennfield Middle School, is a chip off the old block when it comes to harboring the energy and Christmas spirit it takes to put all of this together.

“It’s just amazing to see what my dad’s dream is and what it has become now, and what the world will think of it. I think they’ll love it,” explained Jake.

Joe Drelick has put no pressure on his son to perpetuate the tradition in the future. He simply wants his son to find some way to inspire other people, in whatever way he enjoys most. That said, it doesn’t seem like Jake has any plans of letting the lights burn out any time soon.

“I have no pressure. I want to do it. I have so much fun now, and I can’t wait to someday show my son all the tools and lights.” Jake said. “I definitely have the passion my dad has. I love watching Christmas shows and movies. It’s starting to get cold out and I love it every day.”

While it’s not uncommon for some teenage daughters to be a little embarrassed by their dad’s eccentricities, such is not the case for daughter Jordynn. She loves every part about it and is very proud of this family tradition that has become a big part of her life.

“Its definitely an experience to say you’re the Christmas light house. I wrote my college essay about it, and my teacher wrote on it ‘Are you the house on Liberty Bell Drive?'” said Jordynn.

For Jordynn the unique experience of being on national television this year has not been lost, particularly when she saw their house on a commercial this week. But mostly it’s the special family aspect of this annual light display that means the most. And having such a unique family tradition never leaves Jordynn short of something to say at the beginning of each school year.

“My teachers tell us to say something about us in the beginning of the school year, and I just say – oh, my family puts up 37,000 Christmas lights every year,” Jordynn quipped.

As for support from his wife, Tracey Drelick didn’t know exactly what was in store when she met her husband when she was just 19 years old.

“I can remember Joe and I were dating, I was 19, he was 21. I remember stopping over at Rotelle’s and they were building the castle. I didn’t know quite where that was going. because it was huge. I saw the display at his parents’ house having no clue we’d ever be married and ever have a property where the lights would eventually end up,” Tracey explained.

When they did decide it was time to buy a home together, there was no question, at least for Joe, that this house was the one where the future light display would make its home. Even before they ever put an offer in on the house, he was out in the yard with a tape measure checking to see if the castle would fit in the front yard.  As they celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary this year, both Tracey and Joe are grateful for what their Christmas tradition has done for them as a family.

“I didn’t have a childhood like Joe. It was a little rough for us. My mom did everything she could for us, growing up, but I didn’t have it like him. So all this definitely grew on me and I’m so grateful. I would not trade it for the world,” Tracey explained.

All told, it’s over 35,000 Christmas lights, 26 interactive push buttons, and over 8,800 sq. ft. of decorations. And this year, the Drelicks will get to use that display to inspire the joy of the holiday season in a nation full of television viewers. The episode of The Great Christmas Light Fight featuring the Towamencin family will air on December 7th at 8pm on ABC. As for the light display itself, Drelick will flip the switch beginning on Thanksgiving so people can enjoy the spirit of the season up close and personal.