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36 This Augusta Community Guide | FALL/WINTER 2024–25 By Chris Lassiter I n an instant, Camille Dierksheide’s pandemic project went from Halloween fun to Halloween fundraiser. When Dierksheide and her husband were still dreaming of home ownership, she had ideas of how she would decorate her yard for her favorite fall holiday. Nothing evil. Just scary. When they purchased a home, she set forth her plan for Halloween decorations. Soon, her festive fall set-up started to get attention. Dirksheide knew exactly what to do with it. “ e Shriners do a fundraiser using Halloween,” Dierksheide said. “ ey have people who do all these incredible displays, and they raise money for a children’s hospital and children’s cancer research. I was like, ‘Well, I could do that. And we could raise money for art and music.’” PUTTING STAUNTON ON THE MAP e fact that the Dierksheides reside in Staunton — and do fund- raisers to bene t the schools here — is a testament to the city’s tourism e orts. When it was time to purchase a home, Dierksheide and her husband kept expanding their search further and further southwest of Washington, D.C. “We found Staunton just from being day tourists,” said Dierksheide, who took in the Victorian Festival among other activities. “My husband had read about it. We love old architecture, and Staunton had a lot to o er. When we were looking for a place to live, Staunton always kind of tugged at us. A er our daughter was born, we were really so happy to make this our permanent home.” CREATING THE WHIMSICALLY WITCHY DISPLAY A classically trained vocalist, Dierksheide attended George Washington University on a music scholarship. Her background in the performing arts has given her an eye for detail. at detail-oriented approach was evident when she started her Halloween decorations. caption - if needed - don't really think we need them for the 2nd page - kinda self explanatory Whimsically Witchy! Halloween Display Raises Money For The Arts