Chief Petty Officers Vicki Evans-Spates and Keith Genereux walk through the woods near Camp Falcon, scene of this year's Haunted Forest. (Jennifer H. Svan / Stars and Stripes)
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan — It’s promised to be one heck of a scare. And it’s all for a good cause.
Camp Falcon and the surrounding woods for four nights will transform into a "Haunted Forest" teeming with ghouls, zombies and other creatures of the night.
Sailors with Naval Air Facility Misawa are combining with the Air Force to put on the spook-fest for kids and adults.
Opening night is Friday, with an encore planned for Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m.. The forest will be open the same hours on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.
"I’m hoping for a great turnout," said Chief Petty Officer Keith Genereux, the event’s lead coordinator. "I’d like to see on average about 1,000 people a night."
Cost is $1 for kids, $3 for adults. Proceeds go straight to youth and other community programs on Misawa through this year’s Combined Federal Campaign.
Raising money for the Pacific region’s annual charity drive was the idea behind the Haunted Forest’s debut at Misawa, organizers said.
With so much uncertainty about the U.S. economy, some sailors acknowledged it might be tough to donate as much as they had in years past, said Chief Petty Officer Vickie Evans-Spates, NAF Misawa’s CFC project officer. Initially, a bratwurst sale was proposed, and then Genereux took that fundraising concept one step further with the Haunted Forest.
"We’re trying to get a lot more creative this year," Evans-Spates said.
The Haunted Forest begins with a hay ride from the base beach to Camp Falcon. After a safety briefing, groups of about a dozen will be led through the woods by tour guides with flashlights past a series of stations staged by Navy and Air Force volunteers.
The entire walk-through is expected to take 30 to 45 minutes, Genereux said. The first half of the night, from 5 to 8 p.m., will be less scary, designed more for kids.
After that, "it’s game on," Genereux said.
Cars decked out with Halloween decorations and candy will be set up in Camp Falcon for "trunk-or-treat" and ghost stories will be shared around a bonfire. Parking will be at the base beach to catch the hayride. Those just wanting to walk also may park at the golf course.
