Tony Sullivan and Bob Presland, aka The Saltwater Santas, raised over $15K last year from visitors to Sullivan’s Christmas light display on Sugar Creek Way. FRED SHERWIN PHOTO

Retired posties Tony Sullivan and Bob Presland have been friends for more than 35 years. They first met at a Canada Post hockey tournament in Sullivan’s native Newfoundland over 30 years ago. Presland was the league organizer of the tournament, which was held in a different city every year and involved over 100 teams from across the country.

The pair’s friendship flourished after Sullivan played in the tournament in Ottawa in 1988 and was so impressed with the city that he decided to move here.

Sullivan and his wife Jocelyne originally bought a house on Avignon Court in Convent Glen North which they would decorate every Christmas.

In 2002, they moved to Sugar Creek Way which is right around the corner from Taffy Lane, known far and wide for the number and scope of Christmas light displays on the street. The Sullivans got caught up in the spirit and added to their own display every year.

Two years ago, Sullivan’s five-year-old granddaughter Olivia wanted to get in on the action by handing out candy canes to the people dropping by who in turn wanted to give a donation to Sullivan for all his trouble.

At first he didn’t accept anything, but then he thought he could turn the people’s willingness to give into a fundraising effort for local charities. He immediately called Presland, who has a wealth of fundraising experience.

Initially, they thought they might raise a few hundred dollars. They ended up collecting over $1,600 on the first night alone.

After running out of candy canes that night, Sullivan went to Costco to buy a few more bags of canes and a couple of bags of the small Swiss Delice chocolates.

There are roughly 300 chocolates in a bag. That first year Sullivan would have to go back to Costco several more times before they turned the lights out on New Year’s Day.

When it was all said and done, they went through 36 bags of chocolates and raised over $18,000 which they handed out to about 12 different charities including the Orléans-Cumberland Community Resource Centre, the Ottawa Food Bank, the Shepherds of Good Hope, the Ottawa Mission, CHEO and the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Last year, they went several hundred more candy canes and chocolates and raised another $15,000.

They plan to kick off their fundraising efforts this Saturday, with Presland directing traffic and Sullivan collecting the cash only donations. Everyone who drops by gets a chocolate and every child gets a candy cane.

Sullivan is especially excited about the latest addition to his display – a miniature Christmas house made out of recycled wood with a miniature village inside which people can see through a window.

The display will be lit up every night from this Saturday until New Year’s Eve.