ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — There is a haunted house in St. Pete that uses the power of fright to instill important qualities, like confidence, self-worth, and pride, into the special needs community.
Parc Center For Disabilities loves this time of year. They get to show off months of hard work preparing for their annual haunted house.
“Everything from the start to the finish of this haunted house, the decorations, cobwebs, the placement of scarecrows hanging from the wall or witches flying into your face, it is 100% the participant's idea and their creation,” said Brian Rothey, A.V.P. of Adult Community Programs at PARC.
Rothey said the haunted house gives these participants a feeling of pride and ownership that they can continue to build upon through all aspects of life.
“It gives everyone an opportunity to have their voice heard. It gives them a sense of accomplishment, self-worth, the confidence they are building here and seeing everything come together the way it has been incredible,” said Rothey.
Choosing their costume and character is always a big decision, from zombies to killer clowns to wrestlers.
“I am a clown little girl holding a dead teddy bear. It is pretty scary,” said one participant named Chelsea.
“I’m the zombie that rose from the dead,” said another participant named Ronny.
The best part is witnessing the reaction from those friends, family, and support staff who are brave enough to take a walk through their Halloween creation.
“When they’re having fun, you’re having fun. That’s the best way to look at it,” said staff member Ralpheal Tobias.
