I am what professionals would label “a scaredy cat.” And by professionals I mean my nephews. My nephews, all under 6 years of age, understand and know that I am scared of a lot of things. They think it’s funny that they can face bigger water slides than me without breaking a sweat, or that they can squish a spider with their hand without screaming, they know they have me beat in lots of life’s great arenas.
It was no surprise this past fall when my nephew once again faced his fears while his Auntie nervously sat on the side lines. I was at the 20th and final Scarecrow Festival in October with my sister, my parents and my sisters two boys. We had tons of fun playing games and after a few hours were exhausted and ready to head for home. When my nephew spotted the giant haunted house that took up one corner of the hall. As we got closer we could hear the odd scream coming from inside. My nephew pointed at it and said, “Hey what’s that? I want to go in there?”
Photo Credit: The Edmonton Sun
I looked down at my nephew and said, “Oh no, that’s WAYYYYY to scary.”
“Why? Why is it too scary? I want to go in.” He said with a mischievous smile.
I said, “That is a haunted house, things jump out at you, really scary things! They might even touch you! I don’t really know what goes on in there but trust me you don’t want to go in there.”
We stood outside the haunted house while my nephew insisted we go in and I jumped every 30 seconds when someone from inside let out a shrill scream. There was no way I was going in. I know the first thing that would have jumped out at me would have resulted me in a ball on the floor crying. My sister said, “I’ll take him if he really wants to go.”
I took my sister aside, “Seriously, it is really scary.” But despite my pleas they decided to go inside. A while later they came out. My nephew with a huge grin and a little more pale than when he went in. He loved it! He thought it was cool and I’m sure it would be a good story for him to tell his friends around the playground – a badge of honour if you will. I whispered to my sister “Was it scary?”
She said, “Oh yeah, we were shaking.”
Children, teens and adults LOVED that haunted house. The volunteers from the University of Alberta and local High Schools who put it together poured their hearts and (somewhat twisted) souls into it every year. It was a highlight of the festival for many who came. And because of this, some of the dedicated volunteers do not want to see it die (in true haunted house spirit.) They have applied to #ideas4yeg (Ideas For Edmonton) for a grant to keep the haunted house alive and well, and supporting ABC Head Start. And YOU have the power to make sure the haunted house stays in Edmonton and keeps supporting Edmonton’s vulnerable children and families.
The organizers of the event are passionate and committed to keeping this event going. “Besides the haunted house raising money to support the mission of ABC Head Start, we feel the event itself is unique among the variety in Edmonton. Having a Halloween focused event that uses scares to drive support is fantastic; children and adults alike enjoy the haunted house and come out wanting to see it next year. We want to establish an ongoing event that is a landmark in Edmonton, but it needs to be rejuvenated through the community. Help us recover what was an incredible experience to operate and create all new stories to share.”
VOTE TODAY! Click here to cast your vote. You will need to register to vote, but it takes seconds of your time and you can even use your existing social media accounts to do so. Help us keep this wonderful event strong and “S’caring for Kids.”
