SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Halloween is less than three weeks away and many families are looking for costumes, and one woman in Lackawanna County is continuing to celebrate Halloween by keeping her brother’s spirit alive.
A garage in Scranton is decked out with goblins and Halloween decor. Inside you’ll find dozens of costumes for free, but the meaning behind this mission is more than just a giveaway.
“He passed away on Halloween morning, my mother is the one that found him, and Halloween was his favorite holiday,” said Dawn Shadow-Sherman of Scranton.
Despite his love for Halloween, Larry White Junior couldn’t mask his addiction.
He died on October 31st, 2010, at 33 years old of a heroin overdose.
“Ever since he was 13, he started with the marijuana, and then with the pills, and then with the cocaine, and then heroin, and then it got to the point where he was shooting up, and he was doing so good and then it just got the best of him,” Shadow-Sherman explained.
12 years later, Larry’s sister, Dawn Shadow-Sherman, keeps his spirit alive by donating costumes to children in the area.
While the costumes are free, they come with a life lesson about drug prevention and awareness.
“She definitely spread the love, I felt welcome right away,” Jeanette Martinez of Saylorsburg stated.
Martinez traveled 55 minutes with her two infant twins when she saw a post on Facebook about the Halloween costume drive.
Leaving grateful with costumes and accessories for her four kids, Martinez says hearing Larry’s story and message is important and touching.
“I mean to continue his legacy, and continue what he believes in and what made him happy the most, is very important especially when you pass away with something that most people are in common with,” Martinez continued.
Costume sizes are available for girls and boys from infants up to 12 years old.
Shadow-Sherman says she hopes this annual drive encourages families to talk about the dangers of drugs and helps prevent other families from losing a loved one to the disease.
“To know that there is still giving people out there and to hopefully that they never ever just even pick up a pill or marijuana because it starts from there,” Shadow-Sherman said.
Dawn runs this drive with the help of the community and donations made.
She posts the days and times the costume drive is open on her Facebook.
