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Henderson Haunted House set to scare visitors in Powell River

Museum of Nightmares is Henderson Elementary School’s major fundraiser for 2019
Darren Nivens Powell River
SCARY STUFF: Organizer Darren Nivens can't wait to scare Powell River residents when they visit Henderson Haunted House this year. The annual fundraiser for the Henderson Elementary School parent advisory council will run October 25 and 26 starting at 7 pm. Vanessa Bjerreskov photo

Henderson Haunted House (H3) is taking Powell River to a ghoulish museum this year, and Darren Nivens can’t wait to see how many people he can scare.

“It’s the highlight of my year,” said Nivens, who has organized the fundraiser since 2011. “Most of my crew, like me, don’t have kids at Henderson anymore, but we love doing the haunted house. We’re just a group of parents who want to keep this going.”

H3 is the major annual fundraiser for the Henderson Elementary School’s parent advisory council (PAC). According to Nivens, the funds are distributed by the PAC based on requests from the administration.

“The money we raise goes toward things like laptops, sports equipment, outdoor tents, school trips, whatever the teachers need to give their students a great learning experience,” he said. “All schools need to fundraise, and this is one of the ways we do it for Henderson.”

Nivens said the haunted house has expanded every year.

“We don’t mess around; we’re trying to scare you,” he said. “This isn’t just dollar-store decorations. All our props are either real or handmade, and we have lots of performers. That’s why we recommend that only adults go through H3.”

Despite the R rating for the house, lots of young people are involved in making H3 happen.

“Kids usually start wanting to help out with the house around grade five,” said Nivens. “Even when they move on to Brooks [Secondary School], they’ll still come back to help. We have two students from Brooks who will be doing most of our makeup this year.”

Nivens also pointed out that helping make H3 possible gives students a different kind of experience.

“One of those students is seriously considering going to special effects school, because of their experience doing makeup with us,” he said. “We had another young woman who decided to go into fashion design after helping with our costumes for many years. H3 can be a kickstart, giving students an idea of what they can do with their passions after graduation.”

This year, H3’s theme is Museum of Nightmares, which gave Nivens a unique opportunity.

“Because it’s a museum, we’re able to incorporate an exhibit about Tla’amin culture into the house,” he said. “I am working with someone from Tla’amin Nation to make sure the information is right and respectful. We think it’s going to be fantastic.”

Nivens is ready for a couple of busy nights when H3 opens Friday, October 25.

“We did the math a few years ago and estimated we had about 10 per cent of the city’s population come through H3,” he said. “People like to be scared, especially around Halloween, and we’re happy to oblige.”

H3 runs Friday, October 25, and Saturday, October 26 at Henderson Elementary School, 5506 Willow Avenue. Doors open at 7 pm each night, and the entry fee is $5 per person. There will also be a silent auction and a concession, and child care is available with a licensed babysitter.