“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Everywhere you go!” At this time of year Christmas carols like the one made famous by Perry Como can be heard all over as people work at decorating their homes, dorm rooms, cars, cubicles, offices, and yes, even their self storage facility.
A form of decoration that has become more and more popular over the years has been the creation of Christmas villages. People can buy pieces to build their own miniature village complete with kids playing on sleighs, carolers, houses decked out for the holidays, Christmas trees, and so much more. They can basically create their own scene straight of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carroll with as much detail as they desire.
The manager at Mesquite Self Storage in Mesquite, Nevada, got into Christmas villages one year in order to add some holiday cheer to the office. It started out pretty simple; just a small village with a train. The next year he added to it. The year after that he added to it again; that is something he has done each year for the last five years.
His little village is no longer so little. In fact, there is barely enough room in the office to conduct actual business.
“It brings joy to people who see it,” Brian Rammage, the manager of the self storage facility said. “That’s why I do it. I know I enjoy it. I enjoy it all day long, and if it gets a little old, someone will come in and say, ‘Hey, that’s cool!’ and I enjoy it some more.
“We’ve run out of room,” he said ruefully. “So next year we’re going to up the ante with more effects and maybe more aerial action.”
Getting into the holiday spirit is nothing new for members of the self storage industry, although many more are known for doing so through charitable acts instead of decorating.
Every year there are countless numbers of facilities around the country that become donation stations for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program as well as various local donation drives aimed towards providing those in need with warm clothes and food.
“Christmas is a time of year to enjoy and we hope to put a smile on the faces of local children who are not as fortunate as others,” said Kevin Pratt of Access Self Storage, a self storage company in the UK that is collecting donations at all 56 of its locations.
Sources Used:
“A town full of Christmas spirit.” TheSpectrum.com; 06 December 2011.
“Self Storage Companies are Getting into the Holiday Spirit.” Self Storage Industry News; 14 November 2011.