October 12, 2006
Proceeds go to charity Students plan haunted trail for family fun
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- For a "spook-tacular" Halloween, scare up friends and family and head down the "Haunted Trail" around Campus Lake at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The fourth annual Halloween fundraiser is set for Oct. 27 and 28, from 6 to 7 p.m. for the children's hour, which is a less scary version of the trail, and from 7 to 11 p.m. for everyone else.
Organized by the SIUC chapter of the Public Relations Students Society of America, the "Haunted Trail" starts at the Campus Lake boathouse and ends at the beach house. Various student organizations will set up exhibits along the trail, which will feature ghouls, ghosts, goblins, limbless lifeguards and other "horror-ific" sights.
WCIL-FM's John E. Quest and Lia Mira will choose the "scariest" section of the trail and award a cash prize to the winning student group.
Admission is $5 per person or $3 if you bring a canned good. Proceeds go to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Make-A-Wish Foundation.
"Last year we raised $2,000. We want to exceed that amount this year," said Lindsey A. Bailey of Lindenhurst (669 Penn Blvd.), a senior majoring in radio television and minoring in public relations. Bailey is among a group of public relations students organizing the event. Kimberly N. Kline, assistant professor of speech communication, and W. Josh Houston, lecturer of speech communication, are their faculty advisors.
The "Haunted Trail" is designed for those seeking a wholesome Halloween. "Some people think they have to go to the bars on Halloween. We want to provide an alternative for those who want to have fun without having to drink," said Bailey.
Coordinating and expanding major cultural outreach programs are among the goals of Southern at 150: Building Excellence Through Commitment, the blueprint the University is following as it approaches its 150th anniversary in 2019.