Fall River holiday display full of Christmas cheer again thanks to donation

FALL RIVER — The Christmas lights in front of Paul Grant’s home are dancing again.

About a week after an unidentified Grinch stole the electronic music relay box that coordinated the flashing lights to Christmas music, Grant received a new relay box Saturday from Carl Sawejko, the president of Battleship Cove’s board of directors.

“It’s incredible. There should be more people like him. He’s got a great heart,” Grant said Saturday night outside his Anthony Street residence.

On Saturday, Sawejko drove to Connecticut to meet a wholesaler who gave him the relay box at a discounted price after hearing about the theft. After obtaining the relay box, Sawejko drove back to Fall River and dropped it off at Grant’s home.

“He was very emotional and filled with joy. He couldn’t believe it,” said Sawejko, who learned about the theft after reading about it in The Herald News.

“I thought it would be a perfect time of year to show people what they can do for others in need,” said Sawejko, who drove to Connecticut because he couldn’t find a local merchant that still had the music relay boxes in stock.

Sawejko also said he took pleasure in helping Grant, a retired auto mechanic who is now disabled with a back injury. He said when Grant was still in business, he used to help people in need and offer discounts to help them.

“This was someone who helped out many people for many years,” Sawejko said.

Grant, 55, said he was overwhelmed by the community’s response to his story. He said two people gave him $50 donations and others reached out to him to show support.

“I appreciate all the help everybody gave me,” said Grant, who has put up the elaborate Christmas display outside his house for 18 years to entertain his children, grandchildren and the neighborhood kids.

Grant said he said he lived in an orphanage and group homes from age 9 to 15, and never had a good Christmas when he was a child. He noticed last Monday night that the music relay box was missing, and he suspects someone stole it. He did not report the apparent theft to police, but hoped that the perpetrator would come forward and return the box, with no questions asked and no calls to the police.

The guilty party never came forward, but Grant said the examples of Sawejko and other community residents show that the Christmas spirit is still alive in Fall River.

“There are still some good people out there,” Grant said.