It’s a Halloween display that catches your eye from a couple of blocks away in the Evergreen neighbourhood in southwest Calgary — a yard full of blow-up characters, stretching along the full length of both sides of the corner lot.
It’s a colourful collection Darcy Dupuis has been amassing for the past 20 years, adding a couple each Halloween.
“I have about 75 in total,” Dupuis said.
And the inflatables are all pumped for a purpose.
“It’s all for the food bank,” Dupuis said.
Dupuis has a donation box set up in his driveway, collecting non-perishable items for the Calgary Food Bank.
He began his Halloween food drives five years ago, in response to the downturn in Alberta’s economy.
A 40-year veteran of the oil and gas business, Dupuis is all too familiar with the struggles many of his friends and neighbours are facing.
“A lot of people have been laid off,” Dupuis said. “It’s been very tough to see, people that I know that have been affected by this.”
Dupuis’ longtime friend Bill Cottrell, another oilpatch veteran, stopped by to drop off a donation, glad to be able to support the food drive.
“Darcy’s got a big heart,” Cottrell said. “He’s that kind of guy.”
“It’s better to give than to take,” Dupuis said.
Dupuis’ neighbour Danielle Wiebe said she would also be bringing food to contribute.
“When people in our city and in this neighbourhood might not be able to provide, it’s nice to help out,” Wiebe said.
Dupuis will have his figures inflated each day from 2 to 11 p.m. through until Halloween night at 4 Evergreen Square SW.
He’s asking people who come by to please bring something to put in his donation boxes.
Dupuis was able to provide 16 large donation boxes to the food bank last year and he’s hoping to surpass that this Halloween.
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