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Olmsted Falls man gets national attention for epic Halloween display, using the spotlight to raise money for St. Jude's

Alan Perkins of Olmsted Falls is looking to help raise $45,000, all for St. Jude's Children's Hospitals.

OLMSTED FALLS, Ohio — It's always a good sign when a house has good bones, but what if those bones happen to be found on the home's exterior? 

Alan Perkins of Olmsted Falls is turning heads, both in Northeast Ohio and across the country, with a unique Halloween display in his front yard. 

Perkins is using his decorating skills for a good cause with his over-the-top, skeleton-themed front yard that has caught the attention of not only major media outlets like TODAY, but also big names like "Star Trek" actor George Takei. 

"This guy has seriously won Halloween," Takei wrote on Facebook, sharing an article featuring Perkins' home.

This guy has seriously won Halloween.

Posted by George Takei on Tuesday, October 19, 2021

"I feel overwhelmed with the attention this has garnered," Perkins says. "It is very surreal as I am just a normal guy from Olmsted Falls, Ohio. I am trying to use my short 15 minutes of fame to help out St. Jude’s, though." 

The display is part of Skeletons for St. Jude's, a nationwide fundraiser featuring more than 150 houses decorated to the nines for Halloween. Each home is equipped with a sign and QR code directing visitors to a donation page. 

"Our fundraiser is doing well," Perkins told 3News' Hope Sloop. "We went from 25 [thousand] to $29,000 in 2 days which is great. We still have a ways to go."

As of Tuesday, Oct. 19, one organizer on the Skeletons for St. Jude's Facebook page says that the group has raised just under $30,000. 

Now, this is by no means Perkins' first go-around with large-scale decorations. 

In the past, the Northeast Ohioan has done other incredible-- if not time-consuming -- displays, including a giant spider web maze and a life-sized Batmobile that his kids were able to sit in.

Credit: Alan Perkins
A life-sized Batmobile built by Olmsted Falls resident Alan Perkins.

Perkins says that this year's display, however, has been a long-time goal. 

"I have wanted to build the skeleton for a few years. This year all the pieces just came together," Perkins says, describing the skeleton, which you can find instructions on how to build here.

So, what does he hope comes from the display? Perkins tells 3News that he hopes that other than raising money for St. Jude's, visitors leave feeling a sense of Halloween magic, and wondering what he may come up with next year. 

"I find Halloween fun and I want to make my display whimsical and family friendly each year. I want to make kids of all ages wonder how I created what I did and keep some magic in the Halloween fun," says the Olmsted Falls resident. 

The Halloween display can be found on River Road in Olmsted Falls. Watch 3News "GO!" this week to see Perkins' home featured as one of the spookiest Halloween displays in Northeast Ohio. 

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