Centerville teen builds New Year's ball

CENTERVILLE, Ohio (WDTN) - A Centerville college student has taken his love for New Year's Eve to the extreme by building his own replica of the Times Square ball.

The one sixth scale replica is made of 75 laser cut plexiglass triangles and 86 LED lights casting a glow of nearly every color in the rainbow.

"I throw this party every year and I wanted to bring something unique to it," said Gallagher.

Gallagher said he has attempted New Year's balls in the past, but nothing this extravagant.

The build includes a pulley system, which suspends the ball 25 feet off the roof of his parents' home. It's supported by aircraft cable and is raised and lowered with an electric hoist.

Gallagher said his parents were on board with the contraption built on their roof after a little prodding.

"They always raise their eyebrows a little bit the crazier and crazier it gets, but they enjoy seeing what I can do," Gallagher said.

The show will include a countdown projected on the side of the house, music and confetti for the big moment. It will all be broadcast live here .

Gallagher, a technical theater major at Carnegie Mellon University, began the project in his dorm room, and 40 plus hours of work later, he still believes it's all worth it.

"It's a hobby. Some people collect coins, some people collect stamps or play video games or whatever. New Years' Eve has just kind of become my hobby," said Gallagher.