Meet the Spinesteins: Fayetteville family of skeletons raises money for sick kids

No two days are the same for the Spinesteins — a family of skeletons in Fayetteville.

You might find them making applesauce, doing laundry, hosting a luau, hanging out in the hammock or gathering around the table for Taco Tuesday.

Valerie Lake and her 16-year-old daughter Maura are the creative force behind the bony family. Each day in October, the mother-and-daughter duo rearrange the skeletons in the front yard of their home on Jacobs Creek Circle and document their exploits on the Meet the Spinesteins Facebook page, which has nearly 2,000 followers.

Bob and Susan are the parents; Sally and Jerry are the kids; Waldo is a cousin; Pounce and Whiskers are the cats; and Spot and Oreo are the dogs.

The Halloween hobby started in 2020 as a creative outlet during pandemic shutdowns, Lake said. Now, the Spinesteins are a neighborhood tradition that raises money to fight childhood cancer.

Spinesteins fundraise for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Last year, the Spinesteins raised $1,300 for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, Lake said. No patient is turned away based on the ability to pay for pediatric treatment at the center in Memphis, according to the website.

The goal is to match that amount this year, Lake said. Included in every Spinesteins display and Facebook post is a link to the family's St. Jude donation page. Donors can get special Spinestein swag, including a puzzle for a $5 donation or an ornament for a $10 donation. As of Tuesday morning, the page had raised $710.

On Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Jerry Spinestein’s birthday party doubles as a supply drive for St. Jude. Attendees are asked to drop off wish-list items like backpacks, crayons, books, journals, toys, dolls and puzzles at a donation table.

The Spinesteins aren’t alone in their fundraising efforts, Lake said. The family is part of a nationwide network called Skeletons for St. Jude, which started in Holly Springs in 2020 and has raised more than $500,000 since its inception.

Spinesteins support local businesses

The Spinesteins have been spotted at small businesses around town and feature local products in their displays.

“We like to highlight local businesses and local crafters,” Lake said.

The skeletons have gone to Burney’s Sweets & More for doughnuts; stopped by Gillis Hill Produce for apples; and eaten lunch at Empire Food Cart.

Courtney’s Custom Creations in Spring Lake makes much of the pretend food for the Spinesteins displays, including tacos, birthday cupcakes, s’mores and doughnuts, Lake said.

Neighbors help find Waldo Spinestein

Last year, the Spinesteins expanded their horizons beyond the Lake’s front yard with the addition of cousin Waldo. Like the fictional character depicted in Martin Handford’s series of books, Waldo is a wanderer, Lake said.

Lake collaborates with neighbors for Waldo’s daily adventures. The hosts help decide his daily activities, she said, which have included riding in a princess carriage, hunting deer, surfing and roasting marshmallows in various front yards around the neighborhood.

Previously: Meet the Spinesteins: This bony family has attracted a Halloween following in the Hope Mills area

Each day, a clue to Waldo’s whereabouts is posted to the Meet the Spinesteins Facebook page, where people are encouraged to post a photo with the skeleton once they discover its location.

Lake said the challenge is meant to encourage people to walk the neighborhood and get to know their neighbors.

Waldo’s adventurous spirit, however, has taken him on a plane ride from the Laurinburg-Maxton Airport to Rockin A Airfield in Parkton earlier this month, courtesy of Departure Aviation Services and Airborne Aviation, Lake said.

Spinesteins celebrate Halloween

The Spinesteins’ yearly shenanigans come to an end on Halloween night. Last year, the family celebrated with the Pie A Spinestein event, where attendees could toss a whipped cream pie at the skeletons for a $5 donation to St. Jude.

The event was a hit with neighborhood kids, Lake said.

“There's something about throwing whipped cream in the face of a plastic guy that just thrills them to no end,” she said.

Related: Your guide to Halloween events in Fayetteville, Hope Mills and Fort Liberty

How the boneheads will celebrate Halloween this year is undecided.

“We have one other idea, but we’re not sure if it will be the night before, or if it will be the grand finale,” Lake said, stopping short of spilling the beans.

Regardless, Lake said that she plans to continue collaborating with neighbors and businesses to make the Spinesteins a success.

“There’s no choice but to continue it,” she said. “Adding the fundraising for St. Jude just made it all the more worthwhile.”

Food, dining and culture reporter Taylor Shook can be reached at tshook@gannett.com, on Twitter, or Facebook. Want weekly food news delivered to your inbox? Sign up for the Fayetteville Foodies newsletter. 

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Meet the Spinesteins: Fayetteville skeletons raise money for St. Jude