The Haunted Trail: A “Horror”ible Experience

Please excuse the pun, but the Marine Corps League’s Haunted Trail is “horror-ible,” as well as “terror-ible”—and that’s as it should be. This is the Marine Corps League Detachment 708’s fourth year constructing a spooky trail on the back of their property on Sunshine Grove Road.

This year they added an extra touch. In order to access the trail, you have to enter through the Haunted House. That was the scariest part of all to me. There’s something about dark places that make my skin crawl. If that wasn’t enough I was greeted by an ear-piercing scream which actually made me jump.

Most of the volunteers that you meet in the house and along the trail dressed in scary clown outfits and other ghoulish attire are students in the Navy Junior ROTC (NJROTC) program at Central High School. It does take a little bit of the scare away when they address you as “Ma’am.” The students seemed to be enjoying their roles as much as the people walking through the trail, despite the hot costumes some of them were wearing in the 85-degree heat on an early Saturday evening.

The Marine Corps League holds the Haunted Trail every year, from mid-September to Halloween. It’s open every Friday and Saturday from early September through the weekend before Halloween. Their purposes are to raise money for their projects and to give people some inexpensive entertainment.

Younger children who might genuinely be scared of the make-believe ghouls and spirits can have fun playing in the Bounce House provided by Little Ants House of Bounce.

And, there are plenty of treats, such as candy and cupcakes, along with beverages and food to purchase. The Marine Corps League is also selling t-shirts and hats and there are a number of other vendors selling various items.

Jim Bravico, who has spearheaded this project since its inception, stated: “Over the past four years 38,000 people have visited our Trail of Horror. Due to the two hurricanes, attendance has been down for the past two weeks. However, we were able to clear up the damages and we’ll be open for business this weekend and next. Prior to the storms, more than 2,000 people visited since we opened.”

Some people said it was better than the Busch Gardens attraction and at $12 per person over the age of five, it’s certainly affordable. Children five and under can get in free.

The Halloween Trail of Horror could not have been possible without the help of numerous volunteers like Rachel Derbyshire who did the makeup for the ghouls and goblins.

Jocelyn Tilton came all the way from Shady Hills to participate. She portrayed Alice Madness, a very scary Alice in Wonderland. She greets you as you enter the haunted house.

Another volunteer was Grace Vogel from Central High School, who remarked, “I volunteered because I thought it would be fun plus both my parents were in the military and this is a way to help the veterans.”

Donovan Ramirez, a Central High NJROTC member, stated, “A lot of my friends were doing it, so I decided to participate.”

This is the first time volunteering for Alexander Demos and to him, the best part is being with friends.
Jeovanny Diaz participated in order to fulfill the volunteer hours needed to graduate. “Plus I like to help people and I thought it would be a great experience,” he said.

These students, as well as Jordan Abele, Lilliana Vickers and Tessa Fortier, who portrayed residents of the ghost town, were just a few of the many people who gave their time to create a fun experience for everyone.
The Haunted Trail is located at 8405 Sunshine Grove Road. It will be open this Friday and Saturday and next Friday and Saturday 6 p.m.–10 p.m. Tickets must be purchased by 9:30 p.m.

For more pictures and more information go to their Facebook page – Marine Corps League 708 Family Events.
This event is only one of many that Detachment 708 hosts throughout the year. Some of their other activities open to the public are Bingo and spaghetti dinners. Throughout the year, they also help the community with projects such as Toys for Tots and donating personal items to residents of nursing homes and assisted living communities. For more information call 352-556-3045 or log onto www.mcldet708.