Before I go any further - I want to Thank my Haunt Space family for all your help!!!
****Due to some situations beyond my control, this is coming out later that I would like****
We had an awesome year this year. Our attendee head count was close to 375. We had folks come in from Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York, Kansas, Texas and several places from Canada.
Even with some weather woes, everyone hunkered in and rode it out and then the sun arrived with some enjoyable weather.
The Haunters Against Hunger goal this year was 1500 cans goods and once again our wonderful attendees came through for us! We soared pass the 1500! We were able to donate 2010 + non-perishable food items to St. Anne’s Parish food bank and 617 can goods along with 400 pounds of dog food to the local Humane Society. After that, any perishable food items (i.e.: hot dogs, buns, sliced cheese, etc) was taken to the local soup kitchen. So if it wasn’t used, it was donated.
We had an Awesome Haunted House this year! Once again, everyone really went all out
to give the best show that they can! This year the judging was very close because there were so many excellent rooms. The haunted house was appox. 3600- 3700 sq. ft. That is counting the add on rooms. A 35’ long vortex tunnel was even brought in this year.
The Haunters shined this year! We are waiting for the videos and will post them soon!
We have a person who did a documentary of GLFF this year; I can’t wait to see his footage!
Our vendors / sponsors and contributors, out did themselves. These supportive folks donated from the heart to support our cause. The goodies that were donated were phenomenal! So to our vendors / sponsors and contributors, you have my heart felt gratitude! Please support the vendors that support Great Lakes FrightFest!
13th Hour Magazine
Anatomical Chart Company (Marilyn Lack)
Beyond the Grave Productions (Brian Lashchuk)
Boneyard Fx (Larry)
Boneyard BOOtique
Body Bagging (Rob Johnson)
Carrion Farm (Mouse)
Christine & Rick Comfort (Mistress Celynn)
DAFE (Rick Davis)
DC Design Studio (Brent Ross)
Defrightful Industries (Dave & Marsha Doxey)
Eerie Haunts
Emerson Middle School
Jon Elias
Eric Anderson
Evilusions (Brian Warner)
The Frighteners (Jeff & Joyce Willaert)
Froggy's Fog
G.A.G. Studios
Ghostly Manor Thrill Center
Graftobian
Halloween Propmaster (Paul Ventutella)
Halloween Street.org (Yvonne Hillman)
Haunt 31
Haunted Attraction Magazine
Haunted Keepsakes (Karen Murphy)
Haunt Club Chicago
Haunt World Magazine
Hedstrom Productions (Michael Hedstrom)
Hot Wire Foam Factory
Intellisource Solutions
Killer Pumpkins (John Pelico)
Life Connection of Ohio
Midnight Syndicate
Midwest Haunters Convention (Barry Schieferstein)
Minions Web (Corey Minion)
Motor City Haunt Club
Monster Guts
Nethercraft
Oak Island Productions (Frank Aridano)
Tim Rehahn (our website keeper)
Sinister Visions (Chad Savage)
Skeleton Store
SOT Screen Printing
Tom Straub - Haunted Art
Teddy Scares
Terror Syndicate (Steve Hickman)
Totem Pole Campground
Unsavory Characters (Robert Beech)
Vanessa Reed Designs
Virgil Music (Virgil Franklin)
Witchery Stitchery
Zagone Studios
Along with many, many others who brought items in to be either raffled off or used as door prizes. Don’t forget to support the vendors that support Great Lakes FrightFest!
The seminars / demos & make n takes were superb! The guest speakers once again
wooed their audience. They did a wonderful job!
So a special thank you goes out to
Rotting Robbie (our youngest speaker 8 yrs old)
Toby Wrolson
Brian Lashchuk
Scott Stroll
Karen Murphy
Robert Beech
Bob Vailliencourt
Jon Elias
Tom Byrne
Dennis Darke
Rob Johnson
Sew Scary
Brandon Tucker
Wally Wojciechowski
Corey Minion
Jacqueline Darke (face painting)
Then there is the S.T.A.F.F. (Support Team At Fright Fest), all the people
who worked their tails off to help keep everything going. We could not
run GLFF without you!! You guys are the ones who are out there on
Memorial Day, to set up the haunted house. Setting up the kitchen area,
and all the canopies. Preparing the food and the cleaning up. The trash
removal crew, registration people, raffle ticket sales… and of course my
tee shirt sales. I have to mention the patience people who run the kids
program and piñata and face painting. The margarita machine keeper!
The children’s blow up Haunted House. Gotta mention the HH Door Greeters
& exit poll takers too! Then we have the tare down helpers and those who come
in an extra day and stay an extra day to help. But I also need mention all the other
folks who jumped right in when something was needed!
To each and everyone of you, Thank you! You all are the core that keeps us going!
From the bottom of my heart, you’ll never know how much I appreciate all of your help.
I can’t forget Joyce and Carl, the campground owners. They have taken this wild and
crazy bunch and made each of us feel right at home. They go above and beyond what
they need to do, to make sure that we are well taken care of.
Bob Vailliencourt stepped right up with a another tee shirt design and Tom Byrne
(My Hero) for grabbing our tee shirt order and bringing them out to us.
Jonathan Johnson from Rotting Flesh Radio, LOL, thank you for everything!
This year we were sporting new banners!!! Woo Hoo! Thanks to Toby Wrolson
and his connections, we are able to proudly display our gathering name as well
as Haunters Against Hunger. Thank you Toby!
Campsite Decorating contest, that was very cool! It was great to walk through the
campground and experience the feel of the Halloween season – in June!
The Hearse parade is always a hit! The look from the other campers is always priceless.
Thank you Lisa Poe for heading that up!
Kids Campground clean up contest – what a hoot! Each year we have a contest where
the kids run around with garbage bags, to see who can collect the most trash! For some
reason, each year it has been a draw / tie on the winners . So everyone wins a cash prize!
Also, I want to thank everyone for the wonderful keepsake Halloween Ornaments that
was made especially for Brian and I. We will forever cherish them. I can't wait to get them
on my tree!!!!
There is one person that I must thank publicly, that is my wonderful husband. I am
the true Halloween freak in our family, but he is always right in the middle of what
ever whim or muse that I have. He is my biggest supporter, my right hand man,
my “make it happen” man, my “he can build anything” man. He is my “Ideal” man
(and no I did not spell that wrong) LOL. Thank you for making GLFF a reality!
I know there is someone who is really important that I didn’t mention and I am
truly sorry. Great Lakes FrightFest has grown so much that it takes everyone to
pitch in to help it run smoothly. I am always afraid I will miss someone. Once again,
Thank you doesn’t seem to be enough but I sincerely mean it.
Here are some pictures that have been submitted so far and we hope to upload
More to the web site before long! Enjoy!
Pictures:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCIHsRHszlo
http://hauntspace.com/blog/view/id_3525/title_GLFF-2008/
http://monroeparanormal.com/GLFF/
http://s221.photobucket.com/albums/dd59/staffordmanorhalloween/GLFF2008/?start=all
http://hauntspace.com/blog/view/id_3532/title_great-lakes-fright-fest-2008-summary/
http://s305.photobucket.com/albums/nn227/funphantom/
http://s155.photobucket.com/albums/s313/PaHalloweenFreak/GLFF2008/
As my final thought... I just wanted to thank everyone (quite honestly from the bottom of my heart) on this list for the overwhelming positive responses regarding the continuation of Great Lakes FrightFest. You are all a great inspiration for me to make this event the best that it can be to benefit the recipients of Haunters Against Hunger and to all the Haunters and enthusiasts.
Thank You!
~Karen aka KkrazyKkaren
http://www.GreatLakesFrightFest.com
May 29, 30 & 31, 2009
Well behaved women rarely make history.
~Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
Tags: Great Lakes FrightFest Gathering Events
