ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — There are plenty of haunted houses to choose from in Tampa Bay on Halloween night, but there is one in St. Pete that’s extra special. That’s because it’s for families with developmental disabilities by families with developmental disabilities.
From a bloody butcher to a wizard, watch out for zombies and don’t forget about Jason, the annual Parc Center for Disabilities haunted house is back and scarier than ever.
Brian Rothey, Associate Vice President for Quality and Government Relations, says it’s good to be back in the Halloween spirit. Last year, they were forced to cancel their haunted house due to back-to-back hurricanes.
WATCH: Parc Center for Disabilities haunted house creates chills and strengthens life skills
Parc says for many of the participants with developmental disabilities, this is the highlight of their year.
They aren’t just building a haunted house, their building life skills, things like teamwork, confidence and leadership.
“Sharing all their creations and ideas and wanting to further that and actually bring it to life,” said Rothey.
Ronnie Williams is playing the role of a voodoo master. Look out for him roaming the halls.
“Yes, I like to scare people, and that’s the fun part and chasing them out the building too,” said Williams.
Then there’s Chelsea Brown. She likes to rock a new costume every Halloween. This year she will be dressed as the Chucky doll.
“Because I like it and I’ve never been it before, so this is my first time being Chucky, screaming, calling out, ‘Bloody Mary,’” said Brown.
This Halloween Parc will be joined by the Pinellas County Jeep Club, who will be handing out candy at the end, if you’re able to escape.
“We like to give back to the community always, this is one of the best places to do it, they are very grateful to have us,” said Nicole Sozio.
The haunted house will also be the first opportunity for many Parc families to see the new renovations.
“We have a brand-new state-of-the-art modernized adult community center,” said Rothey.
Parc hopes events like this help spread the word about all the great strides being made in the community.
“I want to become much more visible for our population, I think we should have a seat at every table and a voice that’s heard,” said Rothey.
The Parc haunted house will be open Friday and Saturday night for Parc participants and families only.
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