Cheer Story: More Than a Scare: The Community Spirit Behind the Wawota Haunted Hotel

What started as a love of Halloween has grown into a community tradition that gives back in a big way. With around 50 volunteers coming together each year, the Wawota Haunted Hotel has raised more than $37,000 for local organizations and student awards over the past decade.

We spoke with Kayla Porter, long-term volunteer, about the people, passion, and community spirit behind this spooky fundraiser — and what’s in store this year.

How did the Wawota Haunted Hotel get started, and how has it grown over the years?

Our event officially became a fundraiser in 2016, and originally it was a MOVEMBER event which supported Men’s Health Initiatives. Before that, it was just a love and passion for Halloween that was being done in someone’s garage for fun. We have now been doing it for ten years (seven actual haunted houses).

In 2018, we decided to focus the event more on building and supporting within our community and donated most of the funds to community groups, while still giving a bit to the Movember Movement. Over the last ten years, we have raised just over $37,000.00 for numerous groups in our town and Kenosee Lake, including Daycare, Rink, Curling Club, Nursing Home, Youth Travel Groups, Kenosee Green Space, and more! We have also started giving awards and scholarships through the school the last four years.

What goes into creating the Haunted Hotel each year, and how many volunteers help make it happen?

It is hard to say exactly how many volunteers we have each year, because the community really rallies around this event, and it is a very layered system to make it all happen! We have a core group of about 15 members that have been with the group since the beginning who help every year planning, building, organizing. Then we usually have another 10-15 people who help year to year acting, makeup, etc. Then our groups who will be receiving funds that year help by running the event like ticket sales, organizing groups to come through and in more recent years with set up, clean up and providing meals to our actors.

Finally, we have community members who find ways to support each year without being an actual member- they take shifts, donate, businesses donate candy to kids day, offer us building materials and props for free, etc. The whole community really comes together. It probably takes about 50 volunteers total each year to make it happen, all different levels of involvement.

The Haunted Hotel has become a major fundraiser for the community. How are the funds raised used to support organizations like the curling rink, daycare, and arena?

Each year we choose 2-3 groups to donate to. They apply at the beginning of the season to be a recipient. We like to try and spread the funds out to many different groups! In return for being a recipient we ask them to help us fill shifts and duties the weekend of the event. Likely about 80% of each year’s funds raised get split between these groups after expenses are paid. These groups use the money for operating costs, upgrades, etc. or whatever they need!

How did the idea of providing grad awards to students at Wawota Parkland School come about, and what does that mean to the organizers?

We wanted a way to nourish the arts in our community, and also to recognize kids outside of academics. We have had some kids participating since it started, whose parents have always been part of it, and they LOVE IT. We wanted to encourage kids to want to take part in expressing themselves through arts (be it acting, costume design, makeup, building props, or event media design with advertising).

In essence we wanted an award that celebrated a student for being their authentic selves- which is what the Haunted House has always encouraged. It has always been a very welcoming community where everyone feels they belong. We also recognize kids who show a strong effort in supporting their community.

Applicants do not have to be part of the Haunted Hotel to apply- they can tell us how they express their creativity and how they support their community in many different ways. Those are the only two things we ask them.

In 2024, after the tragic death of one of our original Haunted Hotel family members who helped create the event, our grad award was changed to the Kyle Smyth Haunted Hotel Award, and it is a way for our community’s and his family to keep his love of the Haunted Hotel and all the things it meant alive in the community and to honour him. His wife and two sons have supported this award by funding multiple children during those difficult years when we couldn’t choose just one!

What makes the Wawota Haunted Hotel such a special event for the community, and what would you say to someone who has never experienced it?

We feel we are a little different from other haunted houses because of a couple reasons:

1. We have always called our event an “Interactive experience.” Each year we have a different theme and as you go through, there is a “story” being told. Our actors not only jump out and scare you, they talk with you, make you laugh, hint at things to come. It is not just visual, when creating our scares, we consider sight, touch (textures of the space, not touching people LOL), smell, and sound.
2. Our whole community gets involved because all the funds raised are going to a good cause. The funds are spread over the whole town, not one group each year. Even folks who don’t like haunted houses find a way to support the event. Our main goal for this event has always been “How do we leave people feeling like they had an amazing time, while also raising a bunch of money for our town!!!”
3. We are always open and finding different ways to create revenue that goes back into the community. One year it was a dance, some years there is 50/50 sold, some years there is groups doing popcorn or candy sales at kids day. This year we have some unique ideas of face painting, selling pumpkins that were donated by a local Business Saddle Ridge Farms.
4. Our efforts don’t stop after October. Our group has participated in many events like Heritage Days parade and face painting, donating to various events and families in need, Sharing our stuff with groups like our tent. We try to help in any way we can when our community needs the support!

What are some of the most memorable or funniest moments you’ve experienced over the years?

We have some favourite attendees who have come to our event every year. They are always the whole groups favourite when they come through.

One of these groups joked that they were going to start wearing their Depends when they come because we always give them such a good scare.

Our code word for someone too scared who wants to tame down the scares or stop is “BEANS.” The group loves sharing their beans stories on breaks.

 

From its dedicated volunteers to the local groups and students who benefit from its fundraising efforts, the Wawota Haunted Hotel proves that a little Halloween magic can go a long way in supporting a community.

FRACTURED FAIRYTALES runs October 23 and 24 at the MJ Wawota Bar & Grill, with $25 admission and the haunt beginning at 8 PM. For a family-friendly look behind the scares, the Visual Tour takes place on October 25 from 1:00–4:00 p.m., with $10 admission. Check out their Facebook or Instagram!

 

Photo Credit: Wawota Haunted Hotel