For the staff at the Waring House Restaurant and Inn, getting into the Halloween spirit was about much more than just the scares this year.

Staff transformed the Inn into a haunted hotel Halloween walk through that was open during the weekends leading up to and including Halloween.

The aim was to provide a free, family-friendly and spooky experience and provide some fun for trick-or-treaters while collecting donations to help the Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation Back the Build.

The spooktacular results are in and $1,250.15 was raised for the new hospital campaign.

“This year with the COVID-19 restrictions, it was a little bit more work to put in to make sure our haunted hotel was a safe experience,” said Norah Rogers, owner of the Waring House. “We had great response from the community. Everybody who went through was really happy and enjoyed it. A lot of kids said it was the best part of Halloween.”

Rogers estimated about 800 people checked in to walk through the hotel. The haunted hotel was a safe alternative to trick-or-treating on Halloween night. It required everyone to wear masks and maintain social distance.

“Ensuring the spirit of Halloween wasn’t diminished under the cloud of the pandemic was a challenge for everyone,” said Shannon Coull, executive director of the PECMH Foundation. “PECMHF sincerely thanks Chris and Norah Rogers, the staff at the Waring House and everyone who walked through the hotel and gave a donation to help build a healthy future for residents of and visitors to Prince Edward County. We are blessed to live in this generous community which is ensuring a new hospital will be built and equipped with the best medical equipment possible for years to come.”

“Part of the success for us is knowing the Waring House provided a safe place for families in this community to know their children could go and have some enjoyment in a controlled atmosphere,” said Rogers. “Being able to give back and support the construction of the County’s new hospital was really an added treat. Thank you to all the ghouls who came out and made a donation.”

The Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital Foundation is a charitable organization whose mission is to raise money to advance health care for the patients of the hospital and the people of Prince Edward County.

-Staff