After spreading cheer in Beacon, David Shelly had one last idea
After he moved to Beacon in 2016, David Shelly earned a degree of admiration that made a lasting impact on friends and strangers alike.
One day, he handed out 300 roses on Main Street. Another time, he gave away coupons for ice cream. Known for busting out impromptu dance moves and imploring others to join in, he loved dusting off his snowblower to clear public property and people’s driveways.
But Shelly is most renowned as the guy who donned a puffy pink unicorn outfit and became Beacon’s mascot and ambassador for cheer and goodwill. “If you can help people and it doesn’t hurt you or cost anything, you should do it,” he said.
He paid for the ice cream, but giving away hugs and exuding kindness is free, says his widow, Jill Quaglino. “It made him super-happy to see people smile, so the money didn’t mean anything to him.”
On weekends and during civic events, he visited the farmer’s market and other gatherings, then toddled up and down Main Street, posing for selfies, goofing around with children and stopping into spots for food and drink.
Then came a diagnosis of brain cancer, which spread fast. He died on Dec. 15, 2023.
During the final months of his life, he and Quaglino decided to establish the Beacon Unicorn Fund, which is in the stages of becoming a nonprofit that will offer small grants to people burdened by unexpected expenses like car repairs, dental work or missing a day of work to care for a sick child. Shelly often dug into his pocket to help produce arts and music events, says Quaglino, so “this fund perpetuates the idea that small donations can make a big impact.”
On Dec. 13, Denning’s Point Distillery hosted a benefit. The low-key affair paid tribute to the man who left a local legacy.
Many details must be hammered out, especially the vetting process for applicants, says Jeremy Schonfeld, who is helping to launch the fund with many other friends of Dave. The criteria “will be as precise as we can make it,” he says. “It’s only for Beacon residents and, when it’s up and running, there’s not going to be a lot of paperwork, bureaucracy or big grants. We’re thinking up to $500.”
The ironic image of a burly, mustachioed man who looked like he could ride with the Hell’s Angels ambling around as a pink unicorn to spread peace and love began in Shelly’s head.
“He told me about this idea often and figured it would be a good icebreaker,” says Quaglino. After Shelly cleared a friend’s driveway with his snowblower in February 2021, the woman asked what she owed him. He told her: “My dream is to do this dressed in a pink unicorn costume.”
A month later, a package arrived. When Qualigno came home, she found the empty box and thought, “Oh no, it’s loose.”
“He was overjoyed,” she recalls. “He was so comfortable in his skin. The suit is a symbol of having the freedom to be who you are.”
In contrast to the 10 participants in a parade held in November 2023, shortly before Shelly died, only one brave soul showed up encased in pink plastic at Dennings Point Distillery.
Adriana Ortiz, who works at King + Curated, says she enjoyed paying homage to Shelly but the suit got hot inside the bar and she could only endure about 20 minutes.
Shelly used to stop by King + Curated every Sunday, spreading joy, said owner Lauren Decker. They scoured the market for the same costume that appears in old photos of Shelly but the only variation available had rainbow-hued wings.
“We tried so hard but then figured, ‘Oh wait, there’s a reason they all have wings,’” says Decker.
To donate, visit beaconunicorn.fund.
