The Haunted Barn presented over $8,000 to local youth groups and organizations this week, all profits from their third annual Haunted Barn event held in October. Dave and Shelly Bergeson own and operate The Haunted Barn, assisted by fellow Halloween enthusiast and friend, Jamie Seiser. The haunt was open three evenings and brought 1,939 people from 97 towns onto the Bergeson acreage east of Webster City to experience the three interconnected barn haunt.
All three organizers are passionate about youth programs and helping positively influence the next generation.
Shelly stated, “Kids today encounter so much more than we did growing up. Anything we can do to help them feel part of something, build self-confidence, sound beliefs and good morals, help them feel secure and loved is important,” she stated. “As well as help provide comfort, love and hope in tough situations they have no control over.”
Donations were presented to WC Boy Scout Troop 17, WC Cub Scout Pack 583, WCHS Band Boosters to purchase new instruments that will benefit kids for years to come, MAC Youth Group, Asbury Youth Group, the Blue Program thru the WC Police Dept., & Shop With A Cop thru the county law enforcement.
Totes of small toys, books, crayons, etc. were also donated to the local Van Diest ER and Ambulance crew to help comfort youngsters they may encounter, and large bags of winter stocking caps and gloves were given to Sunset Heights Elementary School and the WC Middle School to be distributed to those kids in need. All were purchased locally. Also, with the average age of people being sex trafficked at 11-14 years old, a donation was made to The Iowa Network Against Human Trafficking and Slavery to help combat this atrocity as well.
The trio expressed their gratitude to Jerry Goebel, Karl Chevrolet and TMI for donating items for the haunt and for all the wonderful volunteers who helped prepare for and work it. “If it weren’t for all these awesome people, this would not be nearly as successful as it was. This year we more than doubled our numbers from previous years and we have heard nothing but great reviews,” Bergeson stated. “Volunteers helped with the complex initial setup, admissions, parking, staging, photos, errand runners, and of course, our Scream Team actors in the haunt.”
When asked about doing a 2023 haunt, Bergeson laughed, stating, “Let us finish getting 2022’s displays put away first and then we’ll see what next year brings!”