PARMA, Ohio — This Halloween, one home haunted house in Parma is scaring up funds for a good cause.
In Parma, at the Douglas Manor, they're providing gore, haunts and thrills all in John Douglas’s backyard.
“Sometimes we hear laughs, sometimes we hear screams. I’ve had kids run out scared and I’ve had parents run out scared,” said John Douglas, the creator of Douglas manor.
For Douglas, the haunted concept started 21 years ago from his love for Halloween.
“The haunted house walkthrough is designed for first-time home hunters or first-time kids to visit haunted houses,” said Douglas.
Over time it grew and quickly took over his entire property.
“I don't know how much bigger I could get because I use every inch of my yard, unless my wife allows me to use the inside of the house,” said Douglas.
The home haunt is completely free, but they do accept donations and they pick a charity every year. This year's charity is really close to Douglas's heart.
“It’s a charity called Worldwide Peer Support, they're a nonprofit organization that helps first responders with mental health problems, PTSD, alcohol, drug addiction and suicide prevention," he said.
Douglas is a career firefighter paramedic that's served more than 20 years, knowing all too well the battles they face.
“It's kind of near and dear to my heart because I did have someone close to me that was in the fire service that did commit suicide after he retired because he had some mental health problems from the job,” said Douglas.
Now he's using whatever platform he can to help those who are struggling.
“I just don't want to see that happen to anybody else, especially in the field that I’m in,” Douglas said. “If I can get people to the ones that can help them, it makes me feel it does make me feel a bit better in our field.”
The attraction is doing real good while it’s bringing fun and fright.
“Just like people that love Christmas, there's a large group of us that love Halloween as well,” Douglas said. “A little bit of scare, a little bit of adrenaline. Nothing wrong with that.”
It’s for a good cause at the end of the night.
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