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Fuquay-Varina family's haunted pirate ship collects toys for military families

The Ruble family took their Halloween decorations to the next level this year to create a life-sized pirate ship and collect toys for kids in the process.

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By
Jessica Patrick
, WRAL multiplatform producer
FUQUAY-VARINA, N.C. — The Ruble family took their Halloween decorations to the next level this year to create a life-sized pirate ship in their front yard.

Tyson Ruble and his wife visited thrift shops and collected scrap material and old office furniture from their company to build the haunted ship, which uses wooden pallets as floors so families can walk through the display.

The ship's internal structure is made from old work stations from Ruble's office furniture installation company, and the ship's siding is made from recycled packing materials.

Fuquay-Varina family's haunted pirate ship collects toys for military families

"Probably about 50% of the structure of the boat is made from re-purposed material from our business," Ruble said.

The family started designing and building the set last November after deciding their usual Halloween pirate decorations just weren't enough. With the holiday season in mind, they also added a new charitable component.

In a large wooden crate by the mailbox, visitors can drop off new, unwrapped toys for Triangle-based Toys for Lil' Troops, a project of the U.S. Veteran Corp to provide gifts for children of low income and deployed families.

The week after Halloween, the U.S. Veteran Corp will pick up the toys, Tyson said. On Oct. 21, more than 500 toys had already been collected.

When Halloween is over, Ruble will store the ship and decorations in an Apex warehouse so he can do the same thing next year. Plans are already in store for animated skeletons and a larger ship in 2021.

Anyone is welcome to stop by the Ruble home on Blueridge Lake Drive in Fuquay-Varina to park in the cul-de-sac and walk through the ship. The ship is lit nightly between 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. and features fog and sound effects.

There's even a scavenger hunt for kids with 15 questions they can answer as they walk through the ship.

And if you see a group of pirates sitting in the driveway, don't be scared -- it's probably Ruble and his family waiting to say hello.

"It's fun to sit and listen to them laugh," Ruble said.

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