Students craft, decorate festive holiday houses

Students and faculty used their creativity to make gingerbread houses that will be donated to bring holiday cheer to beneficiaries of the Ronald McDonald House, a charity that houses and supports the families of children who are hospitalized.

Participants built 15 gingerbread houses during the annual house-decorating event sponsored by the university's Dining Services.

D'yani DeSantis, who works in the marketing department of Dining Services and helped coordinate the activity, said the event originates from staff members who worked at Pencader Dining Hall more than 15 years ago.

DeSantis said she hopes the event allowed students to make creative designs to benefit the charity.

"The program was modified to engage the students, the [university] community and the local community at the same time," DeSantis said.  

The completed gingerbread houses, which are being displayed in the dining halls around campus for the next two weeks, will be donated on Dec. 16 to the local Ronald McDonald House charity.

Freshman Yardley Markee and three of her friends worked on a gingerbread house adorned with a "UD" logo made with blue and gold candies above its front door.  

Markee, who volunteered at a Ronald McDonald House during high school, said she thinks the gingerbread houses will bring positive thoughts to families staying at their locations.

"I just wish we could have made the houses with the kids, but maybe we can do that next year," Markee said.

DeSantis said the houses are placed in the lobby area of the charity's family houses on display upon donation and during the previous year, the Ronald McDonald House staff was thankful for the donations.

"It helps create a holiday feeling at the Ronald McDonald house and adds to their decorations," DeSantis said.

Freshman Ben Page-gil, who built a gingerbread house during the event, said the houses will hopefully do more than just help bring holiday cheer.

"I hope that these houses will give them inspiration to be creative as well," Page-gil said.

Sophomore Rachel Reeves, who participated in the event with her sister Anna, a senior, said she did not make it to the event before all the houses were distributed to their builders, but was excited to decorate one this year.

They said they were determined to make it to the event this year to help them get into the Christmas spirit and because "you're never too old to make a gingerbread house."  

The sisters made a house with a cross-hatched iced roof lined with gumdrops and intricate housing details of red and green icing.

"The house is happy and fun and we hope it will help the children take their minds off of their troubles," Rachel Reeves said.

Danielle Troise, who is the Christiana Towers complex coordinator, made a gingerbread house with two of her co-workers in order to bond and contribute to charity.

"It puts a smile on their faces and will get them excited about the holiday season," Troise said. "Plus, who doesn't love candy?"