Chills, both psychic and weather, stalk aid effort for flood victims

PHOTOGRAPHER: David Lombardo

As the seasons change, so have the fund raisers for flood victims, with Indian Lookout Country Club hosting a Halloween theme event on Saturday.

A haunted house, a “paranormal hayride,” live music and a bouncy bounce were all part of an effort to raise money for 10 families who had their lives changed when flooding came through the Schoharie and Mohawk valleys.

“We’re doing what we can and we’re trying to do it affordable,” said Frank Potter, who owns the country club that hosted the event.

Part of his contribution was bringing back a haunted house that had been retired for a few years. Located in a two-story barn on the property, the house was manned by about 30 volunteers throughout a nearly pitch black set of corridors. Guests shuffled cautiously through the narrow passages but were continuously stopped in their tracks by grim images popping out of the shadows and inanimate looking mannequins being revealed as living threats.

Potter was encouraged by at least 30 people in attendance around 3 p.m., as snow was beginning to fall and winds were whipping. More people were expected later in the night. “It’s unbelievable that people are coming out in the cold,” he said.

One of the attractions was all-terrain vehicle rides for kids, provided by the charity 4 Wheeling For Healing. Judy Quaglieri and Tom Quaglieri, the group founders, were on hand for the event, which they said was their way of staying involved in the rebuilding effort. They said they were on the ground after the flood when people needed help and now they’re raising money, because that’s what people need.

Judy said, “It makes you feel good to support people, especially when you hope they would do the same for you.”

Also going on during the day was live music in a small tent outside the haunted house. Bands Thick, Best Bet, Minds End, The Rodfatha and Chicken Herders braved the cold to keep the event rocking. A few people were even motivated to venture outside and dance, although they were very bundled up.

Haunted hayrides went on throughout the day, hosted by members of Keepers of the Circle Paranormal Research Society. Mechanicville resident Johnny Graves, the group’s founder, was on hand for the event and said that people would get to witness all the paranormal discoveries they made during an investigation of the property three weeks ago. Most of the oddities that would be shown consisted of unexplained lights, which Graves said were “energy of some sort.”

He said they were happy to be involved in this cause and noted that they were selling their T-shirts to help raise money.

“This is a very important cause. Today, that’s what it’s all about,” Graves said. “We’re helping people forget about the devastation.”

In addition to the funds raised on Saturday, Potter said that Camp Bisco, a music festival that plays on his property every summer, had raised about $15,000 through its website. Potter said the money had been passed to him and he would be distributing it to fire houses and ambulance corps in towns that had been damaged.

“I don’t know who needs it, but they certainly need it,” he said.