Scaring to serve: A spook alley fundraiser for the community
For three nights only, students can attend the Hyde Park Haunted Hollows Spook Alley put on by the Hyde Park City Youth Council.
This spook alley, which is a fundraiser for the council, contains seven rooms with different themes. These rooms are orchestrated by council participants and overseen by advisers. They are plotted with the intention of giving a fright.
The council is headed by Stephanie Allred, who has been running the council for 12 years. She came up with the Spook Alley fundraiser idea, but the kids have made it their own.
“They’re all really excited about it. Their favorite part is trying to scare people,” Allred said.
Marci Case is an adviser for the council. She gave insight into how the rooms are brainstormed.
“We start out by throwing around room themes and ideas. After narrowing that down, we pick a leader for each room. They ultimately pick the theme they want,” Case wrote in a text to the Utah Statesman. “After that, we divide up the rest of the council and get to work. We figure out the story we want to tell…then the hunt starts for finding props and building anything needed. We are really resourceful in finding the things we need.”
The Spook Alley was put together with emergency plans. Madeleine Hoopes, a member of the council, shared how planning and setup is going.
“In our group specifically, we’ve got the theme and walls planned out, props all thought out, actors/friends of ours that have volunteered for parts in the room, and route planned,” Hoopes wrote in a text. “In the whole Spook Alley, we have an idea of where we want our walls and the route to go, a plan in case a fire happens, all the rules set out, and all the groups getting things ready for set up!”
Julie Argyle is an adviser for the alley. She had an inside scoop as to what a room might look like.
“My daughter and her friends came up with a “sleepover gone wrong” theme, complete with everything you’d expect at a sleepover… pajamas, snacks, friends, sleeping bags, and stuffed animals, but with a creepy twist,” Argyle wrote.
Kadence Lamb loves participating in the council and Spook Alley as its Youth Mayor. She shared a sneak peek at what to expect at the alley.
“Stephanie’s getting a huge, 15-foot skeleton to put at the front and a real hearse…I don’t think Stephanie gets enough credit,” Lamb said.
The council is a group of about 20 service-minded future leaders in middle and high school. They run service projects throughout the year for their community.
Looking forward to the year, Lamb had some hopes in mind.
“I’m most excited for getting to know our community. I love that the Spook Alley is something for the whole community to do,” Lamb said.
Hoopes also loves the ties the council makes.
“I get to see some of my really good friends there every time we meet up, and we’ve made so many good memories, even just this year! And all of Youth Council has fun together doing helpful events together, like the car show,” Hoopes wrote. “I know that the things we’ve done have definitely helped people too, which is a good feeling.”
The spook alley takes a lot of work, but Hoopes said it’s worth it to the kids and attendants, and they urge everyone to attend.
“People should come to the Spook Alley because it is amazing to see what middle school and high school kids can put together on limited time and a limited budget. They do a fantastic job,” Case wrote. “Plus, this is how we fund our service projects for the community. It is our main fundraiser, it’s for a really good cause.”
Argyle agreed, saying even college students will love the alley.
“Maybe it’s not the scariest spook alley you’ve ever attended, but it’s filled with a lot of creativity from just a handful of dedicated kids. I’ve even convinced my college-age son to come and bring his friends. If they’re up for it, you should be too,” Argyle wrote.
On Oct. 27-28, the spook alley runs from 7-10 p.m., and on Oct. 30, hours will be 7-9:30 p.m. Admission is $4, and it is located at the Hyde Park City Building.