Rhode Island man raising funds for American Cancer Society with intricate Halloween display

CRANSTON, R.I. (TND) — A Rhode Island man is raising funds for the American Cancer Society in a very unique way.

Tim Perry, of Cranston, set up at least 1,000 carved pumpkins on his front lawn at 46 Elm Dr. He calls it his "House of 1,000 Pumpkins."

He's doing it for fun, but also a good cause. He's raising awareness for people who are battling cancer, including his wife, Sue.

My wife was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago. She had two surgeries and is cancer-free, thankfully," Perry told The National Desk during an interview outside his home, adding that he is empathetic to anyone who has cancer or knows someone who is fighting the disease.

Cancer is so wide-spread," he said.

The American Cancer Society said one in two men and one in three women will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. On its website, it noted that the non-profit's goal is "to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. We are improving the lives of people with cancer and their families as the only organization combating cancer through advocacy, research, and patient support, to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer."

Perry has been carving pumpkins for nearly 20 years. This is the fourth consecutive year he's gone all out with the display.

They are craft pumpkins, so I can save them and add more every year,” Perry said.

He started with 500. Then, he hit 660. He reached 1,000 in 2022 and he's up to even more this year -- 1,400! He plans to swap some older ones out of the display, sticking with 1,000 that are available for viewing.

Perry starts by creating the designs and then carving the pumpkins.

When I first started, some of them weren't even my patterns," he said, adding that he originally found patterns online before developing his own. "And then once I started creating my own patterns, that's when I went nuts," he said.

On average, it takes him about three hours per pumpkin. Others that are more detailed take a bit longer, including one that honors the Day of the Dead.

"It's super intricate," he said.

The pumpkins feature ghouls and goblins, as well as some of his favorite rock stars, such as Rob Zombie, Ozzy Osbourne, Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Prince, Freddie Mercury, and more.

I'm big into rock music, and rock bands, and heavy metal, especially," he said. "And then, of course, I love horror stuff," he said.

You'll see also villains like Jason and Freddy Krueger, along with child-friendly characters from movies and shows like "Hotel Transylvania," as well as judges from popular reality TV shows, such as "America's Got Talent" and "The Voice."

The display also features props, including two 12-foot skeletons and a massive spider. Plus, there's a 9-foot zombie, as well as a skull tower and a grim reaper playing guitar.

"My friend, who's in a band, created this music for me to play," he said, noting that the band's name is Jump the Fall. They are based out of Massachusetts.

There are at least 100 mini-pumpkins that line the property. No matter the size, each one is illuminated.

"I create the lights for them, also, by soldering wires into little battery lights," he said. "There's probably 5,000 feet of wire in my yard."

The display is lit nightly until 11 p.m. Perry said he enjoys meeting visitors, as well as the process of crafting the jack-o-lanterns.

"I work on them basically throughout the whole year because I just love carving pumpkins," he said. "This is what I do for fun."

Learn more about the display and how to donate on Perry's Facebook page.