Halloween has always been a holiday favourite for sisters Rachel and Jamie Chalmers.
And ever since Rachel’s two boys – Phoenix, 7, and Mattias, 5 – were born with autism, the sisters knew they wanted to do something big, once they had the space.
So, four months ago when, Rachel and her spouse bought their first house, Rachel and Jamie started saving their money for Halloween.
So, this year, the home at 23662 Kanaka Way will be transformed into a spooky mansion to raise money and awareness for autism.
“With the purchase of the house and the opportunity to do the Halloween thing, we decided to go all out,” says Rachel.
The old mansion theme will start in the front yard, go through the garage and into the backyard.
The sisters have also spent more than $200 on goodies and gifts for visiting children.
“We didn’t want anyone to show up at the door and go home empty handed,” Jamie says.
Not only will there be goody bags filled with chocolate, say the sisters, there will also be goody bags with no candy for children who can’t have sugar, containing spider and ghost-themed rings and necklaces that light up.
For those who want to hang out for the evening, there will also be bobbing for apples and a 50/50 draw.
Rachel and Jamie are still looking for Halloween-themed props and lighting for their haunted mansion. Anyone wanting to help can contact Jamie at jamiechalmers@hotmail.ca or Rachel at clairedelaluna@live.ca.
All money raised from the event will be going to Autism Community Training (ACT), an information and referral service supporting individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families across British Columbia.