Spooktacular fun for special cause

Halloween is fast approaching and although october 31 falls on a Tuesday this year, there is also a great activity this sunday to celebrate a spooky time of year.

Leopold local Stacey Smith has organised a Spooktacular Halloween Carnival from 1-3pm at her family home to help raise funds for her daughter Mackayla’s assistance dog Louie.

Mackayla has been diagnosised with autism spectrum condition , ADHD, sensory processing disorder, pica and severe anxiety but she loves Halloween and dressing up to get lollies.

“My girls and I love Halloween; we all have very restricted interests so doing a spooktacular carnival event was something we could all enjoy,” Stacey said.

“They can dress up, play games and give out lollies to other kids and I get to set it all up because I really love the creative side of this event.

“It’s also the social opportunity they get to enjoy as they aren’t invited to parties often. Having a strong interest in participating in something social is what makes Halloween special for us.”

Tickets are $10 per person, and include games, costumes contests, face painting, prizes, trick or treats and photo opportunities in front of haunted house backdrop.

“Lots of our Halloween props are handmade by me. I’ve repurposed broken dolls from op shops and given them a spooky makeover,” Stacey said.

“Mackayla and Louie have gone out with me to ops shops, party shops and Kmart to hunt for the right type of things.

“I found that Pinterest had really great ideas for all sorts of creepy DIY craft. My advice is to repurpose as much as you can, it’s cheaper and it also gives you the most unique look.”

All money raised will go into training Louie, who will take his PAT (Public Access Test) later next year to allow him full certification as an assistance dog for Mackayla.

“Training is customised for each dog, their specific skill set relates to the needs of the disabled person. Therefore costs are ongoing and depend on how much task training Louie needs before he’s ready to undertake the PAT,” Stacey said.

“Our trainer is lovely and does her best to keep costs as low as possible, but it does equate to hundreds of dollars each month along with associated costs such as insurance, premium food and grooming.

“As an autism assistance dog, Louie will have the ability to help calm and regulate Mackayla’s emotions. Louie will be trained on how to act when she’s in a meltdown by purposely distracting her.

“Louie is providing her with great companionship as social interactions are a trigger for anxiety because relating to her peers and fitting in is often a baffling, exhausting task.”

Despite Mackayla’s struggles, she and her family will still be participating in the Halloween festivities on Tuesday.

“Mackayla and Louie, along with Louie’s trainer, will be out trick or treating on Halloween. Mackayla’s favourite costume is Hermione from Harry Potter, while her sister Arabella wants to be a voodoo doll and her youngest sister Isla is keen to be a happy pumpkin,” Stacey said.

The Spooktacular Halloween Carnival is located at 7 Winslow Avenue, Leopold. Look for the bloody tree out the front.

If you can’t attend but would still like to contribute, head to gofundme.com/mackaylasmith.