BUTTE — A little neighborhood located just off a busy street in Butte is a perfect Christmas village with nearly every home decked out in bright lights, but what happens if you’re one of the neighbors who has a heart that is two sizes too small?
It's a perfect opportunity for a Grinch to thrive.
"It’s not that he doesn’t like Christmas, he just doesn’t like people. But deep down he has a big heart, cares about people," says Jaison Carriger who is the official Grinch of the neighborhood.
Carriger says he can relate to the Grinch’s story but what has come to be known as Grinch Night actually started off as a joke when his family moved from the country to their current home in town.
"A bunch of people were going around checking out lights and we weren’t used to that, and I’m like you know what? I’m gonna throw this mask on and just go out and mess with people," says Carriger.
His antics led to a following on social media and people began to ask when they could see the Grinch in person.
"It’s just kind of taken a life of its own," says Carriger as he adds the finishing touches to his costume.
"I’ve got some fake teeth this year that I’m gonna put in..."
Every year the costume seems to get better but for Carriger, it’s not just about dressing up. It has become an opportunity to give back and he and his family have raised over $6,000 for different charities over the last three years by selling hot chocolate and collecting donations from passing motorists.
"It’s all about doing good things with what we’re doing."
And Grinch Night has become adopted by the neighborhood too.
"It’s just not us that are doing this, it’s kind of—we spurred the idea and the neighborhood has grasped onto it and the neighborhood is just all about it. So it’s cool," says Carriger.
Grinch Night has passed for this year’s Holiday Season but you can still see the Carrigers' Grinch decorations as well as other Christmas decorations along Carousel Way in Butte.
