NEWS

No clowning around when it comes to fighting sepsis

By ARDEN BASTIA
Posted 10/22/20

By ARDEN BASTIA Danny Hall has unleashed all sorts of spooky sights at the Carnevil, his Halloween display located at 176 Lewiston St. on Warwick Neck. This is the third year Hall has turned his front lawn into a haunted attraction. Hall was inspired to

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NEWS

No clowning around when it comes to fighting sepsis

Posted

Danny Hall has unleashed all sorts of spooky sights at the Carnevil, his Halloween display located at 176 Lewiston St. on Warwick Neck.

This is the third year Hall has turned his front lawn into a haunted attraction. Hall was inspired to create a Rocky Point tribute since he lives just down the road from the park. This year is the biggest display yet, explained Hall in an interview. “I started designing throughout last winter, and began building, framing, and painting in April. That’s when I got a bulk of it done.”

It took Hall, along with his with Bethany and daughter Cora, 3 to 4 weeks to set up the animatronics, booths, and all the devilish details.

Hall isn’t charging anything for visitors, but is collecting donations for the Gianna Cirella Memorial Fund. Cirella, a soccer star and student from Toll Gate High School, died suddenly in 2017 from sepsis. She was only 16-years old.

The Gianna Cirella Memorial Fund is a non-profit organization that educates people about the signs and symptoms of sepsis.

Tara Cirella, Gianna’s mother and a close friend of the Hall family, said she was “blown away” when Hall reached out and told her he was setting up a box for donations. “It keeps Gianna close.”

The foundation has gifted $25,000 to Hasbro Children’s Hospital for sepsis research and for use in the ICU unit where Gianna was for so long. To date, the foundation has raised close to $100,000, and given about $5,000 each year since 2018 to Toll Gate High School students.

“It gives us something to keep working towards. We have to keep working towards awareness,” says Tara. The foundation is working on hosting a series of virtual webinars to provide education about the signs and symptoms of sepsis. Tara pointed out that they’re even working on educating young kids, “who are smarter than you think.”

Hall is overwhelmed with the response so far this season. “People have been extremely generous, and I feel that we can bring in quite a bit to the foundation. I’m extremely humbled and thankful to everyone that’s come by and donated.”

While Hall doesn’t have an exact number of thrill seekers that have checked out the display, he said the Carnevil has been steadily busy since its opening night. “When the weather has been good, it’s been crazy out here.”

Hall doesn’t feel that he has to compete with any other Halloween display in the state. In fact, the display creators are more like teammates than competitors. “We all chat, and we all encourage and help each other,” he says.

When asked why he does this every year, Hall said, “There’s nothing like giving back to your community.”

The display is open Sunday through Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. until the end of the month. Guests are asked to wear masks and practice social distancing.

TRICKS AND TREATS: Danny Hall creator of Hall’s Asylum is devoting proceeds from his Warwick Neck display to the Gianna Cirella Memorial Fund. (Warwick Beacon photo)

clowning, sepsis

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