Skeletons for St. Jude Fundraiser scares up donations in Odessa

Heather Quarford is scaring up some fun—and philanthropic support—for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital this Halloween season by decorating her house as part of the 2023 Skeletons for St. Jude Fundraiser, per the City of Odessa on Facebook.

As part of the Skeletons for St. Jude Fundraiser, Quarford has decorated her house and yard at 206 Casa Grande Dr. in Odessa in the spirit of the season while raising funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Her Halloween decorations include a large sign with a barcode that visitors can scan to donate to the worthy cause. Based in Memphis, TN, the hospital provides treatment, travel, housing and food free of charge to patients battling childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

For the past two years, Quarford has been participating in Skeletons for St. Jude as a way to honor her late grandmother, who passed away due to cancer. She told the City of Odessa that she couldn’t think of a better way to honor her grandmother than to bring joy to so many people.

Quarford said that Skeletons of St. Jude is perfect for her since it combines her love of raising money for a good cause with her love of Halloween, with most of the decorations being inspired by her favorite movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas. She said that lots of people stop by to take pictures of her Halloween decorations. “The best is seeing all the little ones smile,” she said.

The City said that, as of this writing, Quarford is the fundraiser’s sole participant in West Texas and she would love for others in the community to join in supporting the event.

To date, the Skeletons for St. Jude Fundraiser has raised $175 of its $300 goal. Visit the page to donate here.