Food bank gets help from local Halloween enthusiast

By Sarah Yannetta

Halloween entrance to a display at 25 Alnet Dr. in Belleville on Halloween night. Photo by Sarah Yannetta

The owner of a frightening front lawn on Alnet Drive in Belleville uses his favourite holiday and hobby to collect donations for a local food bank.

The family and friends of Mike Sheppard helped him put together his seventh spooky scene on his front lawn for two days this year, Halloween and the night before.

This was the third year Sheppard collaborated with locally operated Gleaners Food Bank. He just wanted people to have fun on Halloween, but thought he could help someone or something out.

“I’ve always liked Halloween. It’s always been something that’s interested me, and you get a lot of flexibility with Halloween,” said Sheppard. “With Christmas, you have reindeer, that’s what I always tell people. I know there’s a lot more that goes on with Christmas but with Halloween you can do pretty much anything you want.”

Sheppard likes to go above and beyond the typical decorations you see at houses, saying the little things aren’t enough on Halloween. “Everybody does all of these little tombstones or some lights, but why can’t I have something that jumps out at people?”

Starting seven years ago, Sheppard has decorated his lawn with more and more moving objects with lights, sounds, smoke machines, and costumes.

“The food bank we’ve been doing for three years now, and after doing this for a couple of years it didn’t make sense ‘cause it takes a full day — well previous years it’s taken a full day to set up and we generally don’t set up and leave it for a week.”

Sheppard said they usually set up and tear down on the same day but three years ago he decided to keep it for two days to collect donations for a charitable organization. He said Gleaners Food Bank does their annual food drive during the fall and they were the perfect organization to help out.

Sheppard said 700 pounds of food was collected the first year. He wanted to double that number the next year and came close with 1,300 pounds and was hoping for 2,500 pounds this year. The weight for this year has not been announced.

Sheppard said this wouldn’t happen without the help of friends and family, especially Grant Gannon and Shane Flake.

“Friends and family. My buddies Shane and Grant, without them this wouldn’t go on because they’ve been here. This year it actually took us three days to set up just to get the display ready. It’s a lot of work getting all the props set up, getting all the wiring run; this year we’ve added some new lights.”

Sheppard is thankful for everyone bringing donations and for the help his friends and family give him every year.