‘Tunnels of Joy’ light displays give reason for the season

Christmas carolers, dancing princesses, a jazz band and more are entertaining visitors to one festively decorated south Brentwood neighborhood and raising money for a sick child in the process.

Each evening in December as night falls, a close-knit Deer Ridge neighborhood comes to life as visitors traverse through lighted tunnels past dozens of homes festooned with towering Santas, red-nosed reindeer, Disney characters, religious displays and more holiday decorations.

Now in its sixth year, the monthlong Tunnels of Joy event is centered around La Costa, Pasatiempo and Torrey Pines drives in Deer Ridge. It has become a family tradition for many, though not everyone knows how or why it began six years ago.

The first neighbor put up tunnels made of PVC pipes and covered them in white lights in 2016, and others followed suit, adding many more glistening lights and decorations in 2017.

“We’ve always sort of been a kind of street that likes to decorate,” said Yvette Gardizi, who jumpstarted the La Costa Drive decorating. “My husband, Mostafa, came up with the idea of putting these tunnels in the front of our house, and it was just a huge hit.”

Gardizi said her family shared tips on making the tunnels and encouraged neighbors to add ornaments or signs with the word “Joy” in honor of their Christmas-loving neighbor Joy Bursch who died a few years earlier following a battle with breast cancer.

“It was just to kind of pay tribute to her, and that’s why we called it Tunnels of Joy,” she said. The event – now with more than 150 homes participating – “just kept growing and growing.”

“All the kids really loved to run through them and everything,” Gardizi said.

Best experienced by walking the neighborhood, the early event drew lots of foot traffic, so Gardizi decided to add a fundraiser aspect to it. Each year the organizers, Gardizi and three neighbors, pick someone – usually a child – for whom to raise money.

“It’s just meant to help the family that we choose, but then we also do it for the community, because now it’s become a family tradition for people to come out and walk through the tunnels,” she said.

Over the years, the event has expanded to include a lineup of food vendors, hot chocolate sellers, singers, bands, a drumline, a raffle and photos with princesses each weekend through Dec. 31. Donation boxes are placed at several spots throughout the neighborhood.

This year’s honoree is 11-year-old Cristian Munoz, a Brentwood boy who recently was diagnosed with advanced kidney cancer. It was only three months ago that the active sixth-grader was playing football at school when he fell and collapsed in pain, his mother, Maria, said. At first, she brushed it off, thinking it was temporary but soon she realized it was more serious and a trip to the ER revealed he had a mass and internal bleeding.

Cristian was soon taken to UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital and later Kaiser Children’s Hospital in Oakland where a biopsy showed he had a tumor “the size of a football.” Shortly thereafter, his damaged kidney was removed, his mother said.

The the diagnosis was a shock, she said.

“Before he got hurt, he had a football game that weekend before and never had signs, never indicated he hurt,” his mother said. “He never felt anything. He was fine. It was the fall that caused the tumor to burst.”

The surgery was followed by a week of radiation and then chemotherapy, which will continue through spring, she said.

Now the young Bristow School student fears for his future, but his mom tries to reassure him he is going to be OK.

Not being able to finish the season with his Falcon Football teammates has been hard, she said, but she reminds him “football is always going to be there.”

“I always try to reassure him, you know, that he’s a strong boy and he has a strong heart and that he’s going to be fine,” she said. “But he’s aware of everything that’s going on.”

Cristian briefly visited the lighted tunnels and hopes to return when he feels better but for now, he’s enjoying the bit of celebrity from all the social media posts as well as some gifts of cheers from well-wishers that have been sent his way.

“It’s been amazing. It just puts a smile on his face,” his mom said. “He tells me, ‘I’m famous right now. I feel really famous.’ ”

Munoz said she was appreciative of the community of Brentwood, Oakley and the surrounding area.

“They have been so kind and so supportive,” she said. “It’s so amazing how the community can just come together for us, like we’re strangers to them, you know?”

Gardizi added that she was glad her group could step in early on to help the family and “hopefully preempt some of the struggles” that families with sick children go through.

“We just really want to make a big impact on a family.”

For more information and a lineup of weekend entertainment, go to https://www.facebook.com/tunnelsofjoy or email tunnelsofjoy@gmail.com. Donations also can be made through Venmo @Cristian_Munoz11.