By Michelle Colesanti
As fall quickly approaches, so does the preparation for the Fourth Annual Covington Haunt and Food Drive. Tiffany and Aaron Decker, along with their kids and extended family, will host the home haunt, supporting ECHO’s food bank, and new this year will collect donations for C.A.R.E. Animal Shelter in Ruskin.
The home haunt is located in Covington Park at 7620 Hampshire Garden Pl. in Apollo Beach, and will be held from 6– 10 p.m. on Saturday, October 31.
Tiffany Decker said, “Covington Haunt began as a small yard attraction that has continued to grow and wow its patrons with its attention to detail and inventive scare zones that promise to entertain.”
Although the haunt does have some scares, younger guests are invited to go through the haunt between 6 and 7 p.m.
According to Decker, “Our family has always enjoyed Halloween and we always brought a crowd. We figured it would be a great idea to collect non-perishables as a way to give back to the community. We had a wonderful response over the past few years and decided to support C.A.R.E. Animal Shelter as well. It is well worth our time and deeply rewarding to give back to our community by not only giving people the haunt, but all the good that comes from it as well.”
Last year over 500 pounds of food was collected. If attending, guests are asked to bring at least one non-perishable food item or animal food or item donation per patron. Individuals who are not able to attend on Saturday, October 31, but still want to support these organizations, donations will be collected at the haunt location and at the Covington Park community center office until Sunday, November 1.
ECHO of Brandon always needs non-perishable food, clothing and household goods (towels, toiletries, etc.). C.A.R.E., a no-kill animal shelter in Ruskin, provides care to animals that may otherwise have been put down, and needs cat and dog food (both canned and dry – Science Diet), cat litter (Yesterdays News), laundry detergent, bath towels, raw hide, cat treats and distilled water for a start. To see ECHO and C.A.R.E.’s wish lists, visit www.echofl.org or www.careshelter.org.
The family is looking for donated materials such as plywood, paint or 2×4’s. Also volunteers to help the night of the event are welcome. Email covingtonhaunt@yahoo.com.
