Locals can visit Virginia Onofrio’s residence at 517 Parliament Road on Oct. 20, Oct. 21 and Oct. 27 for a good scare and for a good cause.
Marlton resident Virginia Onofrio needed a variance to build a covered porch for her home on Parliament Road in 2011.
As she visited nearby homes to get the necessary signatures, she learned that while some of her neighbors didn’t quite know who she was or where exactly she lived, many of them did know about “The Halloween House.”
Onofrio has been decorating her home for Halloween since she purchased the property in 2002, and each Halloween the decorations become more elaborate and involved.
Those who’ve passed Onofrio’s home in recent years can’t have easily missed her array of skeletons, ghosts, zombies, monsters, spiders, cobwebs, chains and other spooky props scattered throughout her property.
According to Onofrio, the tradition started simply as a way to have a fun Halloween party for her nine youngest nieces and nephews, as well as some of their friends.
“Sometimes there would be as many as 13 kids sleeping over,” Onofrio said. “The main event for the party was always some form of a Halloween hunt just as darkness began. With friends and family as my actors, the kids would have to follow a set of clues and roam about the yard in search of their prize.”
As the kids in her family and the local children trick-or-treating along Parliament Road began looking forward to seeing The Halloween House each year, Onofrio said she’s made sure to add new additions every Halloween and change the layout of her decorations.
Onofrio said the tradition carried on for many years, and as her niece and nephews grew older, her haunted yard and home eventually became an attraction for her great-nephews and nieces, as well as kids of her family friends.
However, as Onofrio began putting together last year’s hunt, she got the suggestion to open the event to the public.
Having also just lost a close neighbor and friend to breast cancer at the time, Onofrio decided to use her haunted yard as a way to collect donations in support of Susan G. Komen and National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which also takes place in October.
Although last year’s inaugural tour was held on a Monday and Tuesday night and had little advance notice, with just a few signs in the neighborhood and word of mouth, Onofrio said she raised nearly $1,200.
“Those who came were either too terrified to go through the whole tour or loved it and hoped it would become a yearly event,” Onofrio said.
With her success last Halloween, Onofrio said she’s opening her haunted yard to the public once again, with the hopes of raising even more money for breast cancer awareness.
“This year, our goal is to get the word out and have more people come through the tour and donate at the door,” Onofrio said. “Every penny collected goes to Susan G. Komen for breast cancer research.”
Onofrio also promises the haunted yard tour this year is going to be bigger and better than ever before.
With her front and side yards, porch, garage, back deck and a three tent maze behind her home ready to go, Onofrio said she started decorating in mid-September.
She said this year’s tour is guaranteed to get people’s blood pumping and their heart racing.
“It’s a lot of work and I’d love for people to enjoy it,” Onofrio said. “This is just a way of giving back to the community, and people can donate if they want.”
This year Onofrio will hold three tour dates: Friday, Oct. 20, Saturday, Oct 21 and Friday Oct. 27, all from 6 to 10 p.m., at her residence at 517 Parliament Road.
Those looking to donate to the haunted yard tour, with all money going to Susan G. Komen, can visit ww5.komen.org, select “Fundraise,” and then select “Join A Fundraiser” and search for Virginia Onofrio.
Supporters can also donate in person during their visit to the haunted yard.
That is, if they dare to attend.
