The Woodward Cave Campground will hold its 20th annual haunted cave charity event this weekend to benefit the Red Cross.
Volunteers from the Penn State Student Red Cross Club organized this year's event with the help of Michael and Kiz Burd, managers of the campground.
The event is open to all ages and will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. tomorrow. On Saturday, a free children's Halloween party will be held from 2 to 3 p.m.
A kid-friendly haunted cave tour will follow the party from 3 to 5 p.m. Michael Burd said the volunteers will focus on being silly rather than scary.
From 5 to 9 p.m. the haunted cave will be geared toward those 13 and older.
"For the adults, we try to be as scary as possible," Michael Burd said. "We have a lot of nooks and crannies to hide in."
All of the proceeds raised from the event's $5 admission charge will be donated to the Red Cross for blood drives and other events.
"In the aftermath of Katrina and other disasters, we are very excited to be able to help in the raising of money for such a great charity as the Red Cross," Kiz Burd said.
The money goes to places in need, said Toni Lynn Gibson, the Penn State Student Red Cross Club's blood drive coordinator.
"We can help so many people," she said.
About 20 Bucknell University students and between 30 and 40 Penn State students will dress up as characters from the popular cult movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show and run the tours.
"We provide the majority of volunteers," said Wendi Keeler, Penn State Red Cross' campus coordinator.
Small groups of four to five people will be led through the cave.
"If you send too many at once, the people in the front are scared, but the people in the back see it coming," Michael Burd said.
Each tour takes about 15 minutes.
"The cave has a surreal atmosphere," Gibson said.
Woodward Cave is located in Centre County midway between State College and Lewisburg on Route 45. More information about the event can be obtained by calling the Woodward Cave Campground at (814) 349-4400 or by e-mail at mgr@woodwardcavecampground.com.
