BROOMFIELD, Colo. — During the holiday season, finding homes with incredible displays can be thrilling. For one Broomfield family, their spooktacular Halloween display hopes to showcase a brighter message.
Tamera Halbeisen has put Halloween decorations out for the past 25 years. Her front yard is lined by caution tape and filled with skeletons of all sizes.
"It brings me a lot of joy but also all the kids I see. My neighbors' kids will come over every single day just to see what's different," said Halbeisen. "It's that magic and wonder I think that kids have, it's always been a part of me."
Her display and its meaning have grown over the years. Three years ago, Halbeisen founded the Skeletons for St. Jude Facebook page, a dedicated group that places signs in front of their decorated yards to bring awareness to the research hospital.
"I love it," Halbeisen said of the page. "I look at it all the time. We interact with each other all the time. We're always helping each other if anybody has a problem or questions about the group because a lot of new people are added every year."
The Skeletons for St. Jude effort itself began back in 2020 when Jeff Robertson and his family placed skeletons throughout their front yard and ended up on a local media outlet.
"My kids recommended that we try to raise money for St. Jude, and so we put a sign in our yard that said, 'If you like what you see, feel free to donate,' or, 'Donate to help sick children get out of the hospital so they can enjoy seeing Halloween decorations,'" said Robertson.
At one point that first year, Robertson interacted with a family who had a daughter who was a St. Jude patient.
"At that time, our skeletons were dressed up with crazy wigs on and crazy clothes. And I looked at the daughter's face and… she was obviously going through treatment, she didn’t have any hair on her head or anything, but she was just smiling from ear to ear, and for that moment in time, she was in an awesome place," recalled Robertson.
The idea behind Skeletons for St. Jude has exponentially grown since 2020 as other homes across the country join in this heartfelt message during the Halloween season. Robertson said 450 homes are participating this year, and all the donations go directly to St. Jude.
"Last year we were close to around 800 homes, so hopefully this year we match that or go higher," said Robertson.
Halbeisen added the final touches to her display Monday afternoon. While her Broomfield display is mesmerizing in the daytime, there is a show at night filled with FX displays in the windows and corresponding music.
You can visit her display at 13874 Sandtrap Court in Broomfield. The light show happens from sunset to 9 p.m. on Sundays through Thursdays and from sunset to 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Visitors can scan the QR code on the sign in the front yard to directly donate to St. Jude or visit the hospital's website to make a donation.
To get involved in Skeletons for St. Jude, you can join this Facebook group or find details online.
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