Max is back at it for Halloween

For the past 10 years or so, local Center Moriches graduate Max Mastropierro has been preparing for Halloween, hosting haunted walks, fixing mechanical decorations, and fundraising for Spirit of Children, Spirit Halloween’s charity. This year, similar to last, he, with the help of his father, will be hosting a family and friends party at a law enforcement motorcycle club in Bohemia.

The event, to be held at the end of October, will conclude a months-long fundraising effort to help sick and hospitalized children with programming and parties all year round. For the second year, the efforts have been raised on his GoFundMe: Max Mastropierro’s Spirit of Children Fundraiser.

A Manorville resident, Mastropierro, 17, who graduated from high school a year early, currently attends Suffolk County Community College, with eyes on a school in New Jersey to be closer to Spirit Halloween’s home base for potential internship and job opportunities. He intends on pursuing a career in product development. He also works as a mechanical helper setting up the experience displays at the local Spirit storefronts during the Halloween season.

He is a pro at animatronics, setting up scary scenes and fixing them as they malfunction or break. His collection has grown over the years with dozens or even hundreds of Halloween decorations in his possession. This year, he is unsure of his costume, but promises it will be “scary.”

The setup for the main event takes about three to four days to transform the entire club, he said. He expects about 75 guests and to raise more than last year’s. In 2019, he raised a total of $2,000.

“Every year max has beaten his previous year; this year will hopefully be his biggest year yet,” his father Mario Mastropierro said.

“Max has been in love with haunting and Halloween since he was just 4 years old. His compassion for helping others, especially those less fortunate than himself, is just one of the many amazing characteristics he possesses,” his mother Patti Mastropierro added, also noting how honored she is to be his mom. “He is an old soul—loving, kind, generous and beyond talented when it comes to his knowledge of the Halloween industry.”

Previously, Max hosted a haunted house at his Center Moriches family home. In 2019, he hosted his last event at home, as his family moved out of the Center Moriches district and began splitting their time between a home in Florida and a condo in Manorville.

The family also noted that they are forever grateful for the Center Moriches community for always supporting him and his cause.

Last year, he raised $4,500. His goal this year is $5,000.