Mom's Halloween Costume Drive For Kids Honors Daughter's Memory

MIDLOTHIAN, IL — Mackenzie Mae “Boo” Serviss was loud, wild and beautiful. She loved to climb. Although she died weeks shy of her third birthday during a surgical procedure in 2015, Mackenzie loved the few holidays she got to experience in her short life.

Reeling with grief, Mackenzie’s mom, Melissa Passini, began searching for projects to keep her daughter’s memory alive that would spread some joy to other children facing difficult circumstances.

“Halloween is my favorite holiday,” the Midlothian mom said. “I started noticing kids that came around our house trick or treating that didn’t have costumes. We want every kid to feel included.”

So that no child feels left out in this childhood rite of passage, Passini created “Boos for Boo” in memory of her daughter.

“Costumes can be expensive and every kid should have the opportunity to enjoy Halloween,” Passini said. “So many families can’t afford Halloween.”

Noticing that her friends and neighbors had a surplus of expensive Halloween costumes that their children wore only once, Passini began collecting and redistributing them so that kids whose families were having a hard time would have a Halloween costume to wear to school, community events and trick-or-treating.

Boos for Boo distributed 311 costumes this year during giveaways at Midlothian Fall Fest, the Chicago Heights Public Library and Lansing Autumn Fest. Passini collects Halloween costumes year round.

“We get a lot of homemade costumes as well as store bought costumes,” Passini said.

Home-haunter Tim Pilny is also collecting gently-used, store-bought and homemade Halloween costumes for Boos for Boo at his home haunt, Meadowlark Haunt/Festival of Darkness, 17901 Flamingo Drive in Tinley Park, featured on the 2019 Patch tour o’ scary yards.

Passini accepts Halloween costume donations' year round. Boos for Boo can arrange a pick-up for that box of costumes your kids and grand kids have outgrown through the Mac’s Army Facebook page.

“I want the world to know about Mackenzie,” Passini said. “Her last Halloween she was a shark, and I was a shark victim. She was the coolest kid.”