Welcome to the Triangle Ecto Project GoFundMe Page! We appreciate your interest in our mobile art project. We hope to bring good spirits in these troubling times to the North Carolina Triangle and surrounding areas. Your donations will keep Ecto-Van running and providing services to its community.

Who We Are!

The Triangle Ecto Project is community service effort which hopes to feed and distribute goods to the homeless, offer when possible no cost transportation, and acts as a local beacon of hope in these uncertain days. All of this focused around a "functioning" mobile sculpture created by NC artist Lou Stone. The sculpture named Ecto-Van is based off the famous Ghostbusters Movie Franchise's own Ecto-1. The sound and look is something so unique it is hard to miss!

How It Started...

Growing up Lou always had a fascination with the Ghostbusters, feeling a connection for what they represented. Unlike any other story before, Ghostbusters created a perfect nexus of science, spirituality, and community service all performed by the "average" working class individuals. Nothing special beyond their wits and dedication to the work ahead. Cause "If there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe anything you say."

While at first Lou started building Ecto-Van for his own amusement, it was quickly embraced by the local community almost instantly. Lou was encouraged constantly by almost everyone he met to keep going, building and growing. The smiling kids, the nostalgic adults, and happy families have kept Lou pushing the art work further, creating more experiences for everyone! What started as a few car accessories grew into something Lou never imagined!

When It Took Off

Early in the fabrication process of Ecto-Van the original intention was to make everything temporary and easy to remove, a seasonal display. However, one night while traveling in the Ecto-Van heading home from a convention, Lou would have an encounter with a young boy, a Ghostbusters fan as he had been, with health issues and his family. This encounter the igniting spark to make it a permeant fixture and drive to bring joy to his community through his work.

Lou had pulled into a hotel for the evening when headed home and immediately caught the attention of the young fan. At this point in fabrication the van was only equipped with lights, logos and a few old toys from Lou's childhood. Yet, that was more than enough. The family told Lou all about their child's interests in Ghostbusters but just how much not only how much the show meant to him but also how something as simple as the van would mean so much to their son as well.

What Happened Next

From that point forward Lou decided he would turn his primary vehicle into the Ecto-Van, permanently. Everywhere the van went people became more welcoming, dancing and cheering, snapping pictures and turning heads.

To increase the experience for everyone Lou and his friends continued to outfit the van with all the necessary equipment for all your ghost busting needs. The Ecto-Van now contains a full set of equipment for everyone to experience as well. We also began to make buttons, small hand knit ghosts and stickers for everyone! (Feel free to ask for one!)

The Project Evolved

As the Ecto-Van created an atmosphere of safety it allowed people to approach and open up around Lou in a way he had never experienced before. With the van Lou was able to offer rides to families in need, take homeless individuals to lunch, and distribute needed supplies when possible. The art project to fulfil his childhood dream was working to fulfill another of Lou's dreams, community service and providing care to the homeless or less fortunate.

What Next and How To Help!

Now the part where we need your help. The Ecto-Van had been mostly a self funded project, including any and all aid given to the community, so far. While Lou spent over 15 years working in bio labs and served two tours in the United States Marine Corps before that, life as it does took a turn. In late 2023, early 2024, Lou's health declined drastically and required him to leave his job. Since then he has been on a fixed income as a fully disabled veteran.

We try and do as much as we can but could do so much more with your help. Donations to this drive will not only go directly to the preservation and ongoing improvements to the Ecto-Van itself, but will also help fund and the acquisition of goods and services for the community feeding and aiding as many as we can reach with the resources available.

While Lou and his family are not in need directly, there are a lot of families and people that are in our area. Your help will not only boost the current on going work being done but will aid our continued growth to the next stage, a mobile containment unit based on the Ghostbuster's own main unit. The Containment Unit will be housed on the back of a trailer, to be towed by Ecto-Van to different locations.

The trailer will be a multi functional system that will help Lou's crew in their community care projects. The Containment Unit will provide storage and housing for all the equipment and supplies as well as provide space to transport food, clothing, and bedding items on a larger scale. The Containment Unit will be able to provide a warm shower, hot meals and if needed as a place for those in need to come in out of the weather, for a time.

While still in early stages of design (full 3D model coming soon!), Lou could use your help to push this project forward. Funds not spent directly in the community or on Ecto-Van will be spent to purchase the trailer kit and supplies to build the Containment Unit.

Funding Breakdown

Donations will be used in the following ways:

Keep In Touch

Don't forget to follow us or contact us on Facebook at Triangle Ecto Project for all updates on the project!