Oct 06 2010
Haunted houses will help charity
Drag those skeletons out of the closet. It’s time to get them ready for a contest.
The annual Alameda — Haunt Your House competition, first held in 2006 by Halloween fan Patti Cary, who’s been smitten with looking at Alameda homes tricked out with cobwebs, ghostly rags and other scary-season styles since she was a little girl. As an adult she decided to inspire as many people in town as possible to get into the spirit by decorating their homes and entering the contest.
It caught on and, except for last year when Cary was in Los Angeles during the haunting days of October, it’s become a popular event. this year’s prizes include two free passes from Frontier Airlines, trophies, gift baskets and whatever else she and her new contest partner, Daniel Neumansky can conjure up.
A new twist this year is the contest’s partnership with Alameda Food Bank, which will benefit from a canned food drive via the contest. Every house and business in the contest will receive a Halloween themed can collection box for donations. The food bank has a specific holiday wish list — stuffing, gravy, cranberry sauce, Jell-O, dry potato mix, canned pumpkin, canned yams/sweet potatoes and condensed milk.
The food bank cannot accept glass containers, perishable items, or expired or opened items. The entry ‘fee’ for the contest will be 10 food items, and the intent is to take more than 10 items per entry to the food bank after the contest. The containers will be picked up after the contest, which will be judged Oct. 26 and 27.
“We can creepify our old houses while helping those in need, so enter the contest, decorate your house, and have some fun.” Neumansky said. His own decorated house won a second place prize in 2008. The contest that is open to businesses and residents from throughout Alameda, including Bay Farm Island.
Entrants are required to e-mail their name, address and name of entry by noon Oct. 25 to . Judging is based only on exterior of structures and front yards. Entries must be fully operational and ready for judging from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Oct. 26 and 27.
First, second and third place prizes, honorable mentions and a People’s choice winner will be selected, plus best Newcomer and best Entry by participants 12 and younger.
For more details on how to enter, go to alamedahauntyourhouse.com. To vote for the People’s choice winner, go to alamedahauntyourhouse.blogspot.com on Oct. 26 and 27 from 6 p.m. until midnight.
<a href="http://www.insidebayarea.com/timesstar/localnews/ci_16155636tag:news.google.com,2005:cluster=http://www.insidebayarea.com/timesstar/localnews/ci_16155636Thu, 23 Sep 2010 20:32:02 GMT 00:00″>Haunted houses will help charity
