A skeleton hot tub party in Bellefonte raises money for St. Jude Children’s Hospital

A pool and hot tub party is the theme of the 2024 Skeletons for St. Jude exhibit at the Mattie family residence in Bellefonte. Photo by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com

A 12-foot-tall skeleton named Big Leboneski and a group of his friends host a pool and hot tub party in Bellefonte to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

It’s the latest Halloween display created by Nancy Saxton-Mattie and her family, who have participated in the nationwide Skeletons for Saint Jude fundraiser for three years.

Saxton-Mattie had already enjoyed coming up with creative Christmas decorations that took advantage of the small pond at the front corner of her family’s 1291 Pine Circle property. But after she saw one Home in Ohio Since the image had gone viral for its giant skeleton decoration as part of the Saint Jude fundraiser in 2021, she knew she had to join in on the fun.

“I thought, this is great. I want to be a part of it,” Saxton-Mattie said. “I have donated to St. Jude over the years whenever we had some extra money. It was just great to combine my love of decorating and fall and find an excuse to buy a 12-foot skeleton.”

The first year, the Great Leboneski dipped another skeleton into the pond. Last year the theme was bowling. This year there is a pool party that turns into a hot tub party at night.

As the Great Leboneski stands with a flamingo hose tied around his waist, several skeletons lie nearby, while others hang out by the “hot tub” where a witch is preparing a poisonous strike. Passers-by can see it at any time of day, but at dusk everything lights up and the mist taps give the impression of steam rising from the hot tub.

A QR code on the sign on the display leads to the family’s St. Jude fundraising page, which you can visit directly Here. A donation box is also available for monetary donations.

The Mattie family has raised about $1,500 each of the last two years and is aiming for the same this year. (The fundraising page and QR code are the same this year as last year, so it shows a two-year total that Saxton-Mattie hopes will eclipse $3,000.)

Skeletons for St. Jude has also gained traction at at least one other location in the Bellefonte area. Titan market2042 Axemann Road, in collaboration with the Milesburg Lions Club, is hosting its own skeleton exhibition this year Raise money for St. Jude.

For the Matties, the exhibition is a labor of love and putting it together every year is no small feat.

“It takes several weekends. “Usually every weekend in September when the weather is good, my husband and I are out there hanging things,” Saxton-Mattie said. “Getting things where you need them is really easy, but then you still have to figure out the lights, the timers and extension cords and everything else.”

And it’s not the only time of year when the family gets creative with Christmas decorations. Around Christmas they use the pond for an ice skating scene with Peanuts characters.

“I own a lot of lamps and am always adding new ones,” said Saxton-Mattie. “I’m currently trying to find as many solar options as possible.”