Eli Hallak’s wife, Patrice, jokes that his obsession with going all out each year to decorate their home for Christmas is a kind of sickness.
Hallak, the veteran teacher and head athletic trainer at St. Francis High School in La Cañada Flintridge, sees it differently.
For him, the elaborate scene of 68,000 lights synchronized to music, a mini-train, two 8-foot-tall teddy bears, and a snow-blowing snowman — among other characters — is his way of giving back to the community.
One year, his elaborate scene on Cotton Blossom Lane in Stevenson Ranch even served as a live backdrop for local TV station NBC4 Los Angeles for an entire month. Donations from visitors have been used to raise money for local charities, including the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley.
But this year, when a life-threatening cancer diagnosis put Hallak’s seasonal showcase in serious jeopardy, he found himself on the receiving end of generosity from current and former students in his kinesiology and rehabilitation class.
Over two weekends, 10 of them spent two days following his instructions as they hauled out the decorations from a 10-foot-by-25-foot storage unit, assembled the displays, connected the wiring, and figuratively tied a bow around it all when everything looked perfect.
“The boys saved Christmas, really,” said Hallak, choking up as he recalled their response to his harrowing health odyssey. “It’s so heartfelt.”
Colleagues and alumni say the spontaneous act of kindness was a fitting tribute to a man who’s been a compassionate and trusted mentor over his 28 years at the all-boys school.
Lifelong obsession
Hallak recalled as a 4-year-old being enchanted by Christmas displays.
“It just stuck with me my whole life,” he said.
When he got his driver’s license, he cruised the neighborhoods and told himself: When I own a house, I’m going to decorate it.
That would turn out to be an understatement.
He and Patrice moved into their 3,200-square-foot-home in 2002, when their oldest daughter, Madeline, was 2. He started by putting up a few Christmas lights, and three reindeer representing the three of them.
Three years later, he put up a fourth reindeer for newborn daughter Elizabeth. But things started getting nutty about 15 years ago.
“I knew if I started, I might not stop,” Hallak said. “It’s just my personality.”
The home electricity bill reached meteoric levels each November and December until Hallak had solar panels installed on his roof.
One year, a neighbor left a $20 bill and a note in his mailbox offering to help with the expense.
“I knew I couldn’t keep that money,” said Hallak.
So he decided to funnel all visitor donations to charities.
A challenging year
In June, Hallak was diagnosed with essential thrombocythemia, a form of myeloproliferative neoplasm — a rare blood cancer that can be treated and managed but requires lifelong medical attention.
The cancer first manifested itself as a deep-vein thrombosis in Hallak’s left leg that grew to 14 blood clots in all four extremities. Over the summer, he lost 60 pounds. On a good day, he was able to walk around his four-home cul-de-sac.
Recently, Hallak’s illness was compounded by hypercytokinemia, the “cytokine storm” that occurs when the body releases excessive pro-inflammatory signals (cytokines), which can lead to widespread tissue damage, organ failure, and potentially death.
That condition is being managed with medication, and on Nov. 1, Hallak returned to teaching full time.
But given his physical condition, decorating his home solo was out of the question. So Hallak hired professionals to decorate his roof and eaves and relied on his students to handle the rest.
‘The least I could do’
St. Francis senior Joey Marrs led the students’ efforts. He became close to Hallak after breaking his leg during a football scrimmage right before his third year.
“He was such a help to me that it was the least I could do,” Marrs said.
Fellow senior Stephen Fredricks described the decoration as “incredibly meaningful.”
“We know how important the Christmas season is to him, his family, and his community,” said Fredricks. “It felt right to give back to someone who has supported, motivated, and impacted so many student athletes.”
For his part, Hallak finds it difficult to talk about the students’ act of gratitude without getting emotional.
“So many people criticize this generation as being obsessed with social media and only thinking about themselves or wanting to be an influencer, and here they are giving a Saturday or a Sunday of their time to drive all the way out to their teacher’s house to help him.”
Andrew Burghdorf, president of St. Francis and a former student-athlete who benefited from Hallak’s care, praised his “tireless dedication, deep compassion and unwavering commitment to excellence.”
“Coach Hallak has always modeled selfless service for our students, and now we’re seeing the return on that lesson.”
Principal Tracy Traver says the gesture shows that St. Francis is “more than a school.”
“We are a brotherhood rooted in faith, love, and solidarity,” said Traver. “Through their efforts, our young men exemplified what it means to be a Golden Knight — stepping forward with compassion, strength, and service to lift one of their own.”
The Hallak House at 25086 Cotton Blossom Lane, Stevenson Ranch, will be decorated until Jan. 1. Some visitor donations this year will go to cancer research where Hallak was treated: Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, home of the Roy and Patricia Disney Family Cancer Center.
