11/01/2015
Strolling down memory lane this morning, feeling super nostalgic and incredibly proud of a large group of young adults in our community.
The Haunted House has been in some form in our back yard since 2004 or '05 when Kevin and Kelly Meinz-best friends of Logan's-asked if they could move to our house because their dear father had had enough (as the Dad of five boys, the youngest being the twins, who inherited a love of scaring people from their older brothers, Mike had spent plenty of years with the craziness in his yard).
Not realizing what was ahead (thankfully) we said "Sure." Well, if you know the Meinz twins, they are "go big or go home" kinda people. What started out as a love of scaring people quickly morphed into "How can we help our community while still doing what we love?" (they're amazing humans like that). And Scare Away Hunger was born somewhere around 2007? And it grew from there. Over the ten years in our yard, about 8 were big and the last five were huge. We averaged 1100 people in our yard over the couple days around Halloween. It started as one night, grew to two, and was at its biggest with three nights. People stood in line for more than an hour waiting to go through. We danced Thriller and other countless dances while people waited. It took approximately 50 peoople each night to run the Haunted House. The serious planning started in July or August while the "light" planning took place from the week after tear down (the wheels in Kevin's and Kelly's heads NEVER stop turning). Kaylee supported and helped them through the years! They began building as soon as we would allow (usually in early October) and spent every weekend involved in their cause. We watched these "kids" plan, fundraise, build, argue, apologize, support, grow, and create connections and inspiration like nothing we've witnessed to date. The dedication and enthusiasm were energizing and inspiring beyond words. The chaos and the mess-also beyond words smile emoticon but worth it so so so worth it. So many families donated food to feed the volunteers, They had supporters who came every year with cash and food donations. The grand total of cash donated was around $12K and around 6 tons of food, too-all to the Food Bank of El Doradoo County,
In 2014, Deven and Ryan received STAR Awards for being recognized as leaders in their community. Hands 4 Hope founder, Jennifer saw the boys and approached them about helping with the Hands 4 Hope Haunted House. We had already told the kids that 2015 was the final year in our yard; it was time to move on for all of us. When the Scare Away team met to vote on staying here or moving/merging, Bob and I stayed quiet as we didnt' want to influence their decision. Kevin and Kelly had LONG had the vision of moving to an indoor commercial space where they could grow the organization. They had support of Patricia in creating a non-profit if they wanted to go that route. Bob and I both secretly hoped it would be here one final year but fully supported whatever decision they made. They voted to move and that was that. We were thrilled for them and the opportunity and although missed the energy greatly, were also happy to have a "normal" Fall. wink emoticon
The vision and dedication of those Meinz boys (men) has affected numerous lives both directly and indirectly. They embody the spirit that ONE person CAN make a difference. Through their Haunted House, they've created leaders of countless young men and women (Deven and Ryan are perfect examples). They have inspired and motivated hundreds of youth in our community.
If you have ever volunteered for Scare Away Hunger, please comment and share your memories. It will be a great tribute to ALL of you. I'm not mentioning names of everyone because I would leave out too many, and no great team can make it without ALL of their members!!
Thank you to every single soul who has helped in EVERY way, big and small, to make Scare Away Hunger the success it was/is. We wish you all the best!! Keep on changing lives, one person at a time!
