North Vancouver haunted house raises money for sick kids
Giving to others seems to be something of a family tradition for Jim Myers
You could say fundraising for charity runs in Jim Myers's family. His father, plumber Paul Myers, recently donated $25 million to the Lions Gate Hospital.
Nor would it be much of a stretch to also say Myers is obsessed with Halloween.
"I've always loved Halloween, Christmas," he said. "But we've probably gone a little overboard."
Over the past seven years, Myers has spent over $100,000 decorating his North Vancouver home for the holiday.
What started with one or two decorations soon snowballed into hundreds of witches, mummies, and vampires strewn across his property, which he shares with his wife Danielle and his daughter Devon.
The elaborate set-up isn't just to satisfy his own devilish desires. Over the next two weeks, up to 7,000 visitors will visit the haunted house — 1,000 of them on Halloween night alone.
"People come over from all over the Lower Mainland," said Myers. "They come to get scared ... It's the adrenaline rush."
Collectively, those guests will contribute about $10,000 to Ronald McDonald House, a charity that provides families with housing when they travel to Vancouver for medical treatment.
The Myers's haunted house can be found at 1006 Belmont Avenue in North Vancouver, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. until Oct. 31. Admission is by donation.
With files from Megan Batchelor