Winter storm wind destroys Ferris wheel at Christmas lights display in Columbus
The wind from the winter storm that blasted Georgia on Thursday night damaged a popular Christmas lights display raising money for charity.
Jerry Ludy posted the news Friday morning on his Facebook page:
“’DESTROYED’. FERRIS WHEEL had turned its last time last night,” he wrote. “The storm was too strong to save it. ‘It’s not about the lights, it’s about the memories the lights create in every child and childlike heart’. I have a lot of great memories of how i designed and built this addition to my display. It brought a lot of smiles to all of those that were able to see it. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.”
Two years ago, Ludy started building the 30-foot Ferris wheel, decorated with approximately 3,000 lights, as an addition to the Ludy’s Christmas Light Spectacular, which has brightened the holiday season for folks who have flocked to the Ironstone Drive home for a quarter-century. The Ferris wheel was designed not for people as passengers but for stuffed animals to sit in its eight seats.
The entire display had comprised more than 500,000 lights synced to holiday music and connected by an estimated 15 miles of wiring. But Ludy’s daughter, Julie Hedges told the L-E Friday that the display was “drastically” downsized this year.
Ludy, 67, decided last year was going to be the the final time he would have the display, Hedges said, “but when it rolled around closer to the time, he decided he wanted to do something even if he couldn’t do the full-fledged thing. . . . He spent so much time working on (the Ferris wheel) this year, so for this to happen, it makes me sad for him.”
The wind “twisted and crumbled” the Ferris wheel, Hedges said. “It looks like a tornado hit it,” she said.
When the Ferris wheel fell, it punctured Ludy’s roof and took down some arches supporting lights over the driveway, Hedges said. Thankfully, she said, the arches blocked the Ferris wheel from damaging her parents’ cars.
Despite the damage, the display still will be open to the public this year through New Year’s Eve from 6-9:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 6-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, Hedges said.
From 2007-21, visitors to the display donated $205,620.51 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Hedges said.
In addition to raising money for charity, Ludy remains committed to this labor of love because “he’s always been a child at heart,” Hedges said. “He really enjoys seeing the kids at the display, seeing their faces light up. A lot of families have treated this as a tradition. That’s one of the things that made him do a little something this year. He had so many people reach out to him. … Families were like, ‘I don’t care how big or small it is. As long as we can come and continue our tradition, it’s worth it to us.’”
This story was originally published December 23, 2022 at 11:32 AM.
