ODESSA, Texas — Two residents have brought the spirit of Halloween to life by putting on displays in their front yard in Odessa.
Heather Quarford has raised money for the Skeletons for St. Jude organization for the third year in a row.
Her motivation is rooted from her late grandmother who loved both Halloween and Christmas. She had passed away due to cancer.
Combining both holidays, Quarford had made her decision on the theme of her outdoor display.
"I love Nightmare before Christmas, as you can see. And when it came down to me trying to decide on what I wanted to do, the skeletons for St. Jude just kind of popped up in Facebook and I was like, 'You know what? I'm going to build a display and that is what I'm going to support,'" Quarford said.
This year, Quarford had surpassed her initial donation goal with $645, but anticipates having trick-or-treaters coming by to see her spooktacular outdoor display.
While one Odessa resident adds to her own yard, another resident is transforming his yard into a haunted house that helps local kids.
"We did this as we were bored. We said 'Hey, you know, it'd be cool if we scared some kids in the neighborhood.' And that's how it all started," said David Eguizabal, owner of the haunted house. "We started off in the garage and then came out to the front yard, then expanded to half my driveway."
With heavy attraction over the last few years, trick-or-treaters still return for a good cause.
"A lot of it goes to youth sports for our kids that play in sports and kids on our teams that don't have the availability to pay for some of these tournaments and out of town and everything," Eguizabal said. "We've been blessed with [...] we've been able to do it for our kids. So being able to help other kids when they need cleats when they need travel expenses, they need a hotel room. It's something that we always just kind of chime in for."
This Halloween, Odessa showcases the spirit of giving, proving that community attractions can deliver both thrills and support for those in need.