Unable to Launch Flash Player
This message is being displayed because the browser was unable to load the Flash Player required to display this content.
There are several possible causes for this;
- Your current Flash Player is outdated or it is not installed on your system. Download the latest Flash Player.
- Your browser does not have JavaScript enabled, this is required to load the Flash content.
- The Theme file used to generate this site may be missing the required JavaScript to launch the Flash player.
Plymouth, Minnesota Mayor Honors PD Shimmers Synchronized Light Show
Plymouth, Minnesota Mayor Kelli Slavik honored PD Shimmers as she pushes the "play" button to kick off the 2011 season. Preceding her countdown she spoke of the show by saying, "Plymouth is fortunate to have something this amazing within our community" .
What "Is" PD Shimmers and What is a "Synchronized" Light Show?
PD Shimmers is a synchronized Christmas Light show featuring a light count of 25,000 lights. The music for the show is broadcast in FM Stereo at 97.9 so you can enjoy the show from the comfort of your car. The lights "shimmer and dance in "sync" to the music. The animation "magic" is provided by a computer that controls 112 "channels" powering the lights.
The show is designed, built and operated for the nonprofit Partnerships for Parkinson's (PFP-Inc.) by a Young Onset Parkinson's patient, Mike Justak. "The name is tongue-in-cheek", Justak began. "Tremor is the most common symptom of the disease (Parkinson's), and my lights shimmer and dance to remind the world that 1.25 million Americans are waiting for a cure."
Light Count to Stand at 25,000! "Why" 25,000?
PARTNERSHIPS FOR PARKINSON'S
PD Shimmers is more than "just" a light show. It is 25,000 lights that shimmer their message of inspiration, optimism and hope for the 1.2 million Americans and in particular the 25,000 Minnesotans that suffer with Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's is a movement disorder commonly characterized by uncontrollable shaking or tremor. The disease is progressive and has no cure. You can support the mission of PFP by clicking the donate button. Help us in the fight against Parkinson's . Together we can "Step Closer to a Cure."
PD Shimmers III - Imagination 2012 Preview Video Gallery
By the Numbers
- 112 Control Channels
- 25,000 Lights
- 3,000 feet of wire
- 1,000 "Zip" ties
- 500' PVC
- 250 Programming Hours
Simply put, a "channel" is a switch, extension cord, and a string of lights. The computer interfaces with the controllers via USB com port and "tells" the lights what to do. The software for the computer is supplied by LightShow Pro V2. The software is where you visually "paint" the light commands to the musical track. This painting is done note by note and takes approximately 10 hours for every 1 minute of final show music. Put another way, 10 selected songs that run 3 minutes each would take 300 hours to create. Yes that is 12 days nonstop! You can see the design in action under the menu option design video. Delve into more detail by clicking one of the websites provided on the links page.