History

C'ooks Lane Haunted Hallowe'en has been operating in its current form since October 2005. Previously, Pat, Shawn, and Matthew did a "haunted yard" on Hallowe'en night for the trick-or-treaters. This was something that started in 2002, and only 15 kids came up the long driveway from the main road to brave the spooks and get some candy. The following year, about 30 kids came up, having heard  about the festivities. In 2004, almost 40 kids came up, and our own children didn't want to go out for Hallowe'en, preferring to watch us scare the "bejeebers" out of our victims.

In the late summer of 2005, our uncle, Tom Brick, approached us with the idea of taking our fun to the next level. A local group was looking for innovative fundraising ideas, and Tom thought of us immediately. We rented the Optimist Hall in Ennismore and began planning a larger, indoor venue to run on one night only. Within a month, we realized that there was no way we would be able run it at the Optimist Hall and that our main sponsor was not going to be able to provide us with a financial donation.

For about a day, we were heartbroken. We had gotten so excited about the idea, and we were looking forward to doing this bigger. We were sitting around having a few "pops" when Pat wondered if we could still do it, in spite of what had happened. He asked if we could do it at my large garage. BINGO! An idea was born. It was already the middle of September, and despite having no sponsors, no scarers, and having never done this before, we decided to forge on. For about 6 weeks, we ate, breathed, and slept the Haunted House.

We laid out the interior of the "house", secured some building materials, and got to work. Flying by the seat of our pants, we soon realized that the initial setback was the best thing that could have happened to us. We would never have been able to transform the interior of the Optimist Hall in just one day, and pull this off. We would have been doomed if it had not happened the way it did. 

Reflecting back, if we had known going in just how much work it would be, we likely would not have continued. But despite not really knowing what we were doing, we forged ahead because we were passionate about scaring people. I know to those first volunteers, we must have looked like the keystone cops: we were trying to build the interior of the haunt, design and lay out skits, changing our minds daily, and debating one idea over another. I suspect that a few committed volunteers left us before that first show because to the outside world it looked like we didn't have a clue.

Based on Tom's initial suggestion, we felt that we wanted to do this as something for the community. The first sponsor was looking for ideas to get the youth involved in the community, and give them something fun to attend. We decided that we would operate as a non-profit, donating the proceeds of the event to a needy or deserving group, and approach kids in senior primary grades and high school students to help out. We knew this would also get some of their parents invloved also.  We decided to also keep it affordable to families, and admission was set at just $5.

That first event saw just under 80 people attend one of two shows offered. Based on feedback, we knew we had a winner. People raved about how awesome it was. They indicated that they would definitely attend a future performance. We were pleased and overwhelmed that we had managed to attract double the number of people who had come to our last haunted yard, given all the logistical nightmares, almost no formal marketing, and just a handful of volunteers.

We were able to donate a few hundred dollars that first year, choosing a local elementary school to assist with a Grade 7/8 Educational Class Trip to Quebec City. We not only donated the proceeds, but basically every cent we brought in at the gate. If we took out expenses, it just didn't seem to be a very charitable donation, so we agreed to cover all expenses out of our own pockets that year, in order that the most amount of money saw its way back into the community.

Year Two saw us more formalize our business plan, building earlier, developing a focused recruiting program, and tapping into the local media for publicity. The response on all fronts was phenomenal! We were showcased on the front cover of "Peterborough This Week", interviewed on CHEX Newswatch by Dan Nyznik, and on 980 KRUZ by Mike Melnik, as well as getting a byline in various columns in the Peterborough Examiner. A number of radio programs on the CHUM Braodcast Group (Energy 99.3, 91.9 BOB-FM, Country 105) mentioned us as well. We were thankful and flattered with all the media attention.

Our improved recruiting efforts resulted in almost double the number of volunteers. Thanks to a quickly developing reputation as a serious contender in the local haunters scene, as well as the media attention, we were able to double our attendance again, to just over 160 guests. And just like those other things, we got close to doubling the amount of money we donated.

Planning for 2008 (and future events) has gone to the next level again. As a result of a post-event meeting in November 2007, we formalized our organization further by creating a mission statement, and electing a board of directors which included the addition of a fourth person, Pam Brick. We also assigned a job of Food Service Coordinator to my wife, Connie Flagler. We created a set of by-laws and objectives for the company. We are now awaiting approval of our application as an Incorporated Non-Profit Organization.

Going forward, we hope to continue to double our attendance, or better. We have many awesome ideas, and are only limited by the number of volunteers.  If you think you might like to volunteer, check out our Volunteering Opportunities Page or send us an email at vas@cookslane.ca and someone will get back to you in August.

We at C'ooks Lane Haunted Hallowe'en would be remiss if we didn't express our heartfelt thanks to all those who have helped us get this far, and be in a position to continue writing a history. While we cannot mention everyone (there are sooo many!), a HUGE thank-you goes out to our dedicated team of volunteers, some of whom are coming back this year for the 3rd consecutive year. An equally huge thank-you to all of our sponsors: without our sponsors, we would be sunk! Costs continue to rise, the bigger a company gets. In our case, the cost of insurance really gets big. For a list of current and previous sponsors, please click on our Sponsors page.

_____________________________________________________
Visit Us - Our Story - History - Media - Sponsors - Photos - New - Links - FAQs - Contest - Volunteering - Contact Us
© 2009 cookslane.ca