Members of the Morris County Sheriff’s Office will dress and pose as gruesome characters to help the non-profit organization Halos for Angels Inc. scare up visitors to its annual, month-long “Fright Factor” Haunted House attraction.
Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon announced the continuing partnership with the Florham-Park based charity that eases the financial and emotional stress on families confronted with unexpected tragedies such as loss of a loved one, or job, or an illness diagnosis.
Officials say Sheriff Gannon will cut the ribbon on the opening night of the Haunted House at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, October 4. The 3,000-square-foot Haunted House – which is available for children’s Fright Factory parties – is in the process of being set up at 186 Ridgedale Avenue in Florham Park.
Officers and civilian staff from the Sheriff’s Office Bureaus of Corrections and Law Enforcement are signing up to don macabre costumes and play ghoulish roles for opening night and the 11 additional weekend days and nights the Haunted House is open during the month of October.
In past years, Correctional Facility Corporal Peter Lohmus, Sergeant Raymond Dykstra, Sergeant Shawn Johnston and Lieutenant Michael Schweizer have most often volunteered to thrill the crowds with their imitations of fiends.
According to officials, this year, Correctional Facility Sergeant Andrew Bileci – who was honored in June as a volunteer “Angel” for Halos for Angels, Inc. – said he plans an acting role at the Haunted House.
“The Morris County Sheriff’s Office’s partnership with this worthy organization, Halos for Angels, is a great way for Officers to have fun and entertain the community while knowing they are easing the burden on people in crisis,” Sheriff Gannon said.
Karen M. Casolaro, a mother of five, founded the organization in 2010 as a way of thanking the community of Florham Park that was there for her and her family with daily meals after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The charity’s mission is to directly help families and people in the community who are impacted by a crisis.
Fright Factor opens October 4 with the 6:30 p.m. ribbon-cutting by Sheriff Gannon before the house is open from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. to visitors who dare to roam its rooms for an entrance fee of $10.
On Saturday, Oct. 5, there is a 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Kid-friendly Family Fun Festival followed by the 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. trek through the Haunted House, dubbed “Massive Scare.”
On Sunday, October 6, a Kid-friendly Family Fun Festival is planned from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
For further times of Fright Factor’s weekend events through Sunday, Oct. 27, please visit: www.HalosforAngels.org.