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Photo credit Dave Good
Ali Landry and Rich Sommer get in the Christmas Spirit at LEGOLAND® California.
Holiday season was at full- force at LEGOLAND this week. For Ali Landry, it wasn’t a job; it was personal. “For me, being in this kind of atmosphere and it is Christmas and festive and it is family; I don’t think there’s anything better.” On November 30th Landry along with Rich Sommer from the hit AMC series “ Mad Men” who says loves this season,” Christmas music that’s my thing,” joined Santa as they pulled the switch to light the world’s largest LEGO Christmas tree at Legoland in Carlsbad, California.
Thousands of guests waited to see to the 30-foot-tall tree illuminate, and enjoyed performances by one of the hottest award winning children’s entertainment groups, The Jumpitz, who performed from their latest DVD, “Finding Fun!”
The tree lighting ceremony marks the beginning of LEGOLAND ® California’s Holly Jolly Holidays, a family tradition for the 7th year. Ali who was by her 2 and a half year little girl, Estela Ines, couldn’t be happier to expose her girl to this environment. Wwe’re so close to our families, we come from very solid families. Both of our parents are still together and very much in love. We just come from a very strong unit and that’s what we’re trying to build for ourselves,” said the founder of the children’s clothing line Belle Parish.
The world’s largest LEGO Christmas tree is made of more than 245,000 forest green Duplo bricks, adorned with more than 240 LEGO ornaments. Sommer probably wouldn’t have a tree so big at his home but would certainly love to do it, “we’re big on Christmas trees,” says Sommer who was joined by his 2 year old daughter, Beatrice, and his wife, Virginia. Sommer considers himself a regular dad: “we’re all just trying to do the same thing- to raise happy, kind, productive citizens.”
Living the “Hollywood Style” must make it challenging to keep children grounded, but Ali who says her life wasn’t always pretty “We have a lot of things I didn’t grew up with nor my husband” is teaching her little Estela to be grateful. “We constantly try to talk to her about how many other children are not eating and how lucky she is to have this,” stated Landry.
You would never think that Ali, an actress and model, loves to cook. “I cooked a lot of food for Thanksgiving.” And, it is not a secret that she has an envious figure, one of her many assets, which is part of reason that she lives under pressure and agrees that the Entertainment business, “it’s so tough for women I find. My managers and agents are like, ‘Don’t get pregnant now, because pilot season is coming up. Wait ‘til March and try to get pregnant.’ I can’t live my life like that. That’s when you see what priorities come into play. “
Ali didn’t tell me if she was naughty or nice this year, but if she was lucky she could be expecting baby number two, “we’re not protecting ourselves; we’re open; so, whatever happens,” says Ali.
At the end of the tree lighting ceremony, which benefits the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California and concluded with a donation to the organization, you could almost breath in the Christmas spirit as well as the gift of giving, something that is important to Sommer, who says the best thing he can teach her daughter is, “to be good people; to be nice.”
Photos courtesy: Sandy Huffaker/LEGOLAND California
Sommer practices being a dad, inside and outside of his home. In his show “Mad Men,” he plays the role of Harry Crane, who also has a daughter named Beatrice. “Our characters are based a little bit on our lives. We have some things in common.”
The event concluded with spectacular fireworks and kids and adults (including myself) were showered with fake snow.
“We were honored to have Ali Landry and Rich Sommer to light our tree, and they were absolutely delightful,” said Julie Estrada Media relations for LEGOLAND. Added The Jumpitz publicist GG Benitez, “Although The Jumpitz are performing world-wide, the cast are all San Diegan residents. So, it was such a treat for them to be part of this local event, and to help be part of giving back to the community.”
The Holiday season at LEGOLAND, Carlsbad, California that includes vibrant holiday decorations, festive entertainment every weekend plus nightly fireworks runs through December 31st, ending with Kids-New Year’s Eve party.
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