Annandale Girl Scouts raised screams and money last weekend with a bit of makeup, some creepy masks and a dark walk through the woods. Troops 12055 and 12901 hosted the first ever Haunted Hallows on 51/2 acres of wooded farmland owned by troop leader Renee Cardarelle on Friday, Oct. 26, and Saturday, Oct. 27. Unsuspecting middle school-aged and older youngsters were led down a winding trail past an abandoned car, a rickety bed occupied by a scary old woman, through a swamp infested with zombies and many more creepy surprises. Afterward, they were offered concessions, including candy bars, hot chocolate and a chance to warm up by a blazing bonfire. The event was meant to raise money to help pay for projects related to the Girl Scout Silver Award, pay for a trip they took last summer to the Boundary Waters and to jump start a savings plan they hope will eventually lead to a trip to Europe. "It gets scary, especially by the swamp," said Cardarelle’s daughter Kate Boyce of the haunted trail. She and some of her fellow Girl Scouts led the tours through the woods, armed only with a flashlight. Her friend Sam Burton was in charge of writing the scary dialogue they read as they marched. The girls started working on the trail about four weeks ago. That was when inspiration struck troop leaders Cardarelle and Katie Peterson. They were walking through the woods and talking about potential fundraising projects when lightning struck. The Haunted Hallows began innocently enough as a simple walking trail through Cardarelle’s back yard. "Katie got all excited about doing a haunted trail, and then the girls got really excited," Cardarelle said. They started working that week. Most of the preparation included picking up clutter and clearing the trail of hazards. Most of the props, like the creepy old building that was falling down, the old car and bed, were already in place. The walk lasted about 15 minutes, but in the dark with the sound of chain saws and moaning in the air, it likely felt longer. Opening night dawned clear and mild, and the girls were optimistic even though they knew they would be competing with Youth First’s own Halloween event, a bus trip to the haunted house in St. Augusta. Boyce knew a lot of her middle school classmates were opting for the bus that night, but they had assured her they would stop on Saturday for the tour. "I talked to some kids at school and they were definitely excited about it," she said Friday, before donning her own scary costume. Cardarelle hopes to do more fundraising projects in the future, and the Haunted Hallows has the potential of turning into a yearly tradition. The weekend Halloween fun was a prelude to the actual day itself, Wednesday, Oct. 31, when the younger Annandale population will don their costumes for the Annandale Area Chamber of Commerce sponsored downtown trick-or-treat. Forty-eight businesses signed up to hand out treats from 3 to 5 p.m. The annual event was designed to provide a safe alternative to trick-or-treating in dark and potentially unsafe neighborhoods. Trick-or-treaters simply have to look for the pumpkin in the window or on the door.
