Guest blog, “All Aboard Grafton Haunted House,” written by Breanna Collins

 

Members of All Aboard Grafton’s Haunted House Committee have been hard at work all year long with their efforts ramping up in September. The volunteers have spent many, many hours determining the 2017 Haunted House theme, design, characters, costumes, decorations, and attending details to bring this fun and scary Halloween activity back this year for the children and families of Taylor County and surrounding counties.

 

This year’s event, D. Lyrium Asylum, will run for the last three weekends in October, beginning Friday the 13th and running each Friday and Saturday evening around dark (7 p.m.) to 10-10:30 p.m., depending on participation. John Tokarz and Julie Vogel created the original design for this year’s haunt with plans of holding it inside a Main Street businesses basement.  While things didn’t work out as originally planned, the group buckled down to make sure this event still took place in its 2016 location -the Grafton City Parking Garage.  Melissa Garvin worked her magic to revamp the design layout so that it suited its new location with some slight changes to the theme, which arose in a group conversation.   

 

On Monday, Sept. 25, a group of local men and women gathered together to build panel walls that would create the haunted house and be used for haunts in years to come. In a mere seven-hour period, the 10 volunteers had successfully erected the walls of the haunted house.  Members have spent countless hours working to make this a successful and scary event for the community, as well as a fundraiser for All Aboard Grafton.  

 

The Grafton group has been presented with many obstacles that could have discouraged their efforts and caused them to call it quits on this fundraising event, but the group chose to push forward and persevere.  The group did not allow their misfortunes and unfortunate circumstances to bring them down.  They chose determination, dedication and hard work to bring this event back for a second year.  Each year, the group learns new lessons through their efforts that help each year become better than the last.  There is wisdom in the face of adversity if you’re simply willing to power through the hard times.

 

D. Lyrium Asylum – Details

 

When: Fridays and Saturdays in October:

10/13, 10/14, 10/20, 10/21, 10/27, 10/28

Time: Around 7 p.m. (dark) to 10-10:30 p.m.

Location: Grafton City Parking Deck (Middle Level) at

1. W Main Street, Grafton, WV 26354

Prices:  Children 10 and under $3; general admission $5

 

All proceeds benefit All Aboard Grafton and their efforts to revitalize Grafton and Taylor County