Wednesday, December 11, 2024
A howling werewolf and a cackling witch are just some of the many characters on display in Bradley Yarborough’s yard for Halloween — creating a haunting spectacle that will make even the bravest trick-or-treaters pause in their tracks.
But beyond the frights and fun, this spine-tingling display serves a heartfelt purpose — to raise funds and awareness for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
“Halloween is my favorite holiday,” Yarborough said. “I've been decorating for Halloween as long as I can remember, and then I heard about the Skeletons for St. Jude (fundraiser) ... It combines my two favorite things: helping kids and Halloween.”
The Skeletons for St. Jude fundraiser was originally created by North Carolina resident Jeff Robertson in 2020, according to the St. Jude website. After building a “spooky-but-fun" Halloween display in his front yard, his town took notice, with neighbors, friends and local media marveling at his work. Seeing the huge interest his Halloween display caused, Robertson decided to use the attention for good by starting a fundraiser for St. Jude.
Since then, the Skeletons for St. Jude fundraiser has drawn a Facebook community “like a bat to moonlight.” A fundraiser that began with a single home in 2020 has since grown exponentially, with 669 homes across the nation participating in the mission just last year.
“What started out as me having fun with a bunch of skeletons on Halloween unexpectedly turned into something much more meaningful,” reads a quote from Robertson on the St. Jude website. “Meeting a St. Jude patient and her family as they visited our Halloween decorations motivated my family. And now over 1,000 incredible partners join us to do whatever they can to help St. Jude. I am so proud of what our team has accomplished.”
So far, the fundraiser has generated a total of $717,810 for the mission. In 2023 alone, the campaign raised an impressive $264,297, and the 2024 campaign has already brought in $79,657.
As the movement gains momentum, supporters like Yarborough are embracing the opportunity to make a difference in their local communities.
“I was reading about it on Facebook, and I was like, ‘Man, I want to join this crusade,’ and so I started doing it,” Yarborough said. “Everybody who does a big (Halloween) display who wants to partake in it, they can email (Robertson), and you'll get a sign that you stick in your yard, and you can donate however much you want."
At 204 Donna Circle in Granbury, Yarborough’s house is decked out with some of the spookiest decorations, including menacing pumpkins, eerie fog, decrepit headstones, and a 12-foot-tall skeleton.
As trick-or-treaters approach his ghoulish display, however, they will not only be greeted by an impressive array of creepy figures, but also by a sense of community spirit. Nestled among “Halloween’s” Michael Myers and rotting corpses is a sign depicting the St. Jude fundraiser, along with a QR code, allowing adults the opportunity to donate to the cause.
“They see the sign, they scan the QR code, and it'll take you directly to the St. Jude website,” Yarborough explained. “Now, it's my page on the St. Jude website, but there is no middleman. Every dollar goes straight to St. Jude.”
While St. Jude accepts donations all year long, the biggest fundraising time is the month of October. Yarborough himself has already raised $1,005 in the first few weeks alone.
"I raised almost $800 last year, and it was off of just 5 or 10 bucks here from people,” he said. “Everybody sets a personal goal, and mine is $1,500, so I'm hoping to reach that this year. Actually, I’m hoping to exceed that.”
With this being Yarborough’s third time to participate in the fundraiser, he is excited to welcome even more trick-or-treaters to his sprawling Halloween display.
"I welcomed over 400 trick or treaters last year,” he said. “I have enough candy for 800 kids this year, so (I’ll welcome) as many as I can get.”
Yarborough mentioned that each year he aims to include something new and unique in his display, noting that this year, he hopes to enhance the graveyard scene.
Utilizing five fog machines, two fog chillers, and various special effects, Yarborough also relies on electricity from his two neighbors to power the impressive setup.
“It’s all with their permission,” he added. “We want people to come look at our cool display, but then donate at the same time — that’s what I'm hoping for.”
The special effects, lighting and moving parts will all be functional starting this weekend, as well as Halloween night: Thursday, Oct. 31.
While Yarborough’s love for Halloween may have played a big role in his decision to join in Jefferson’s mission, he said he also believes in St. Jude and its remarkable impact on children.
“It's an awesome, awesome charity,” he added. “And something I'll be doing the rest of my life.”
For more information about St. Jude and its fundraiser, visit stjude.org online. To donate to Yarborough’s campaign, use the QR code or visit his personalized link at fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR/DIY/DIY?px=7741938&pg=personal&fr_id=133399.
St. Jude signs will also be available at the Hood County Courthouse through Halloween night.
