Story contributed by Ahmed Shatil Alam and Franziska Witte. They can be reached at aalam@go.olemiss.edu and fwitte@go.olemiss.edu.
The Oxford Police Department (OPD) welcomed members of the community to its 14th annual haunted house. OPD staff, police officers, their families and volunteers worked together to create a spooky experience for young and old. The haunted house was open for three days, starting with a long line of fearless visitors in front of the OPD training building Monday night.
Each year proceeds from the event benefit a different charity. This year’s profits were donated to the Oxford School District to provide trauma kits for each classroom. Trauma kits are emergency kits that help deal with major injuries until expert medical care is available.
On the first two nights, more than 900 people made their way through the haunted house and organizers knew they had a hit on their hands.
“We raised so much money the first two nights, that on the third night, all the proceeds are going to Lafayette School District’s trauma kits,” Breck Jones, head of media production and social media said.
Linda Cardung, a graduate student at Ole Miss, visited the OPD haunted house for the first time this year. “The actors were extremely authentic with their costumes and make-up.” Even the police horses and riders were painted to look like skeletons.
Jones said there’s more to the event than raising money, too. “We want people from the community to come out and interact with us where we’re not just out there in uniform but where we’re doing something fun like this,” Jones said.
Cardung said she thinks the strategy is working.
“It brings the police and residents closer together on an informal basis. It is nice that the police serve the community in addition to their everyday work,” Cardung said.
This year OPD sold t-shirts at the event for the first time with the money rasied helping to pay for the schools’ trauma kits as well.
Get a sneak peek of the OPD Haunted House with the 360° video of our visit.
