The Christmas lights may stay up a little later this season at Robert Burton’s Fayette County home.
After all, you can’t create a Christmas light show to honor your favorite college team, then take it all down before the championship game, right?
Burton's light shows set to music have become a tradition in recent years. But this year, he decided to tackle something new. This year's display pays tribute to his beloved Auburn Tigers, who will play Florida State for the BCS title on Jan. 6.
“I knew I wanted to do the Auburn fight song,” Burton told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
But it wasn’t until the final seconds of his team’s Iron Bowl game vs. Alabama and the call by Auburn radio announcer Rod Bramlett on the winning play that Burton’s mind was made up.
“When I heard that, I told my wife I wanted to put that at the beginning,” Burton said. “I started looking everywhere for it.”
Burton said Tim Cook, Apple CEO and fellow Auburn fan, put a link to the call on Twitter. And with a little behind-the-scenes mixing, Burton’s soundtrack was ready. He worked fast to get the display ready before the SEC championship game, just in case his Tigers weren’t as successful the following week.
But Auburn did win, topping Missouri for the SEC title and the right to play for the national championship. It was a fitting gift for Burton, a middle school band teacher and Alabama native.
Burton’s four daughters range in age from 13 to 22. But his other “children” include the more than 200 band students at J.C. Booth Middle School in Peachtree City, including many who drive by his home to enjoy the display.
It takes about a month to set up the lights, which Burton says he normally takes down on New Year’s Day.
“I may end up having to leave them a little bit later,” Burton said.
For more information on the light display, visit the family's website.
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