When Maria Lodola-Price began decorating her house in Manor Lakes for Halloween, people would flock to her door to get a glimpse of the spooky set up.
The interest from other people prompted Ms Lodola-Price to set up a community Halloween event and since beginning to fundraise in 2016, has managed to raise over $20,000 for charity.
“There will be lots of spooky Halloween decorations, with animatronics, lighting and sound effects, candy for the kids and people dressed in costume that they can take photos with,” Ms Lodola-Price said.
“We set up the graveyard display in Leichardt Drive Park, with fake coffins and gravestones, there’s a costume contest booth for people, and for pets, with a professional photographer to take photos of all the entrants and there’s lots of great prizes to be won.
“We’ll have food trucks, including a pizza truck, burgers and fries, someone selling Halloween-themed cookies, fair floss and a coffee van with all food vendors donating 10 per cent of their sales on the night to Starlight Children’s Foundation.”
The nonprofit organisation provides gifts and games to hospitalised children, a cause Ms Lodola-Price cares deeply about.
“Having in grown up in Canada, Halloween for us is just a night about having fun,” she said.
“There’s loads of kids out there who are seriously ill and don’t necessarily get a lot of fun in their day, Starlight Children’s Foundation tries to bring a bit of fun back to those kids in hospital.”
Entry is a gold coin donation, and the event will run on Halloween night on Dalrymple Boulevard between Amadeus Street and Ellenborough Cresent, approximately 500m from the Manor Lakes Community Learning Centre.
Details: linktr.ee/ml.halloween
