Haunted House Fundraiser at Devotion School to Benefit Children's Hospital

Scary-Good, a haunted house and costume party being held at the Devotion School Gymnasium on October 30, will benefit the Milagros Para Ninos (Miracles for Children) Fund at Children’s Hospital. David Bates, a local realtor and the father of three children under the age of six, is organizing the event. 

The idea for Scary-Good came about after friends of the Bates family recounted a harrowing and miraculous story in which their son, Andy, was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Luckily, Andy got treatment at Children’s. It took groundbreaking research and many complicated operations, but now their son is a healthy 12-year-old. 

“I couldn’t imagine a more helpless or bottomless feeling for a parent," Bates says. "Fortunately, their story has a happy ending.” 

Unfortunately, however, this tough economy means there are too many other children who need the world-class resources of an institution like Children’s, but unlike Andy, they can’t get them. Inspired by a Landmark Education course that focused on what it takes to make a difference in the community, Bates came up with the idea for a fun fundraiser that would help provide hope to many kids and families desperately looking for answers. 

The idea quickly received overwhelming community support. The haunted house at Scary-Good is being designed by Joe Bondaryk, an M.I.T.-trained engineer and Coolidge Corner resident whose annual haunted house on Kenwood Street has been a local favorite for nearly a decade. Ingrid Bates, David’s wife, is organizing the costume party, which will include a professional DJ, food for purchase and best costume prizes. An array of local businesses including Party Favors, Friendly’s, The Meat House and Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty have made significant contributions to make Scary-Good as successful as possible. 

Scary-Good is open to the public. Tickets for children are $5 and tickets for adults are $10. Tickets can be reserved at www.scary-good.com.