MESA, AZ — In one Mesa neighborhood, holiday magic is baked from the heart.
For the past three years, mother-daughter duo Janie Schmolke and Judy Hall have spent a month crafting more than a hundred intricate gingerbread houses, each one a sugary work of art and a tribute to the man who inspired it all.
After losing their husband and father, who was a beloved community Santa for decades, the two decided to give back in his honor.
Their annual Christmas Gingerbread Village now draws crowds, raises donations, and fills hearts with all proceeds helping build a children’s library at the hospice that once cared so deeply for their family.
ABC15's Cameron Polom shares this heartwarming story in the video player above.
See more from Uplifting Arizona:
Mother-daughter duo bakes hundreds of gingerbread houses for a good cause
Phoenix clinic unveils robotic trainer for infants, toddlers with cerebral palsy
Gilbert family hoping to raise money for accessible van
ADOT worker captures video of Globe floodwater before helping ambulance reach patient
Valley teen brings splash of color to Chris-Town YMCA and helps families
