TOMS RIVER – Erica Cirillo’s hope to honor her daughter’s memory has turned into a neighborhood celebration of Christmas, and love.
Toms River resident Leigha Cirillo was only 15 when she passed away in September, after a lifelong struggle with a rare chromosomal disorder. Since Leigha loved Christmas, her family celebrated the holiday with her while she was in hospice, as reported by Patch.
To honor her daughter’s memory, Erica Cirillo asked neighbors last month if they might consider displaying a 12-foot inflatable Santa Claus on their lawns this holiday season. So far, more than 50 neighbors have purchased and displayed the jolly St. Nick in the Twin Oaks neighborhood, where the Cirillos live.
Many of the bright-red Santas are on Sheila Drive, where the family resides, but others have been popping up all over the neighborhood.
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“She loved Christmas, and this is for her,” Erica Cirillo told Philadelphia’s Channel 10 News. “It shows what Christmas is about, right? Christmas is about giving and caring and kindness.”
Jean Mikle: @jeanmikle, jmikle@gannettnj.com
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: New Jersey inflatable Santas keep memory of Leigha Cirillo alive
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