It’s the picture that has become associated with Ella-Ween. A little girl, Ella Crossett, all smiles, casually having a tea party with Michael Myers.
But the photo almost didn’t happen. The original plan for the shoot that day was family Christmas photos.
“My sister came over to do Christmas pictures, and she’s got the present box, she’s got a beautiful dress. Oh my God, she [Ella] screamed and cried,” says Ella’s mom Kristin Luckins. “And so my sister's like, let's try a different idea. And she had brought some Halloween stuff like props. So we decided to do a Halloween-like spooky tea party…that smile, she absolutely freaking loved it. She went from bawling her eyes out…and she freaking had a ball that day. And that was the happiest moment.”
Luckins explains that her love of all things spooky transferred to her young daughter Ella and while she had to bribe the toddler in the end to do a photo shoot with Santa, nothing Halloween related spooked her quite like Christmas.
“My mom made a joke. She goes, I guess it's not Halloween, it's Ella-Ween. And I'm like, yeah, that'll be pretty much it now. And then when Ella passed, that's when I was like, why not give her a day? Because she loved it so much…She never got scared of anything. She laughed at it, if anything,” explains Luckins.
The second annual event, affectionately known as Ella-Ween, is taking place Oct. 20 and features the sale of donated Halloween costumes and accessories with the proceeds going to the Sarnia Organ Donor Awareness group (SODA) and their donor family package program.
“I got a package from people when we lost Ella, and I felt like, we were going through the worst time of our lives, but it just made it slightly easier to have a gift card to the grocery store or, you know, people just giving us help when we needed it the most, because you really don't think of anything,” says Luckins.
“And I thought, why not, you know, if someone chooses the decision to donate organs, why not just give them a little bit of, like, a wee, we're sorry, and we appreciate the hard decision that you had to make, and we're so sorry that you even had to make that decision. Because even just for one second, out of all that horrible time, I remember the most is the people in the community, stepping up and helping me. I'll never forget it. That's why I try and do what I can to give back to them.”
Ella-Ween will take place this year at the Royal SCITS Academy from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature not just costumes, but face painting, hair styling, and movies.
“It's going to be more community-based, which is really what I wanted. Because without the community, this would never have happened…Thanks to everyone in the community, they are allowing me to give Ella a day. So without them donating costumes and without them coming, it wouldn't have been what it is now. I am so excited for this year because I think it'll bring more for the community to enjoy and just have a really fun day,” says Luckins.
Luckins also hopes to bring awareness to the need of becoming an organ donor and thinks it’s so important to make your wishes known. Two boys ended up receiving organs from Ella when she passed away in July of 2022. This included Owen Wallis who received four of her organs.
“I look at Owen, and that's the reason. Because of Ella, two families didn't have to plan a funeral that they never intended to plan. Because of Ella, two boys don't have to live in a hospital anymore. They don't have to be tied up to tubes. They don't have to be on the brink of death,” says Luckins.
Luckins went to high school with Wallis’s mom and knew he was on the donor list. Ella ended up being a perfect match.
“Now watching this kid [Owen] grow and knowing my daughter did that, like, why not give someone a second chance? If you're not going to use your organs, why not give someone a second chance and prevent a family from having to bury a loved one? The best thing you can give to someone is life. And I wish I had a second chance, but I'm just glad my baby was able to give two other people second chances,” says Luckins.
Costume donations including adult, kids and pets, unused makeup and decor can still be made. The Royal SCITS Academy is accepting donations at their gym Monday to Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Motion at 49 Finch Drive Unit 7 is accepting donations from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. or you can email Luckins at [email protected].