Home transforms into haunted house to benefit local food drive
By Jackson Stoever
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BERLIN, Vermont (WPTZ) — What started as a family tradition to get his kids in the holiday spirit turned into an opportunity for former fire chief Bryan Nykiel to serve his neighbors in a new way.
For the last 16 years, Nykiel has transformed his own backyard into this must-see Halloween-themed display. Now, he and his family use it as a festive backdrop to host a food drive for the Salvation Army’s annual “Pack the Pantry Food & Funds Drive.”
On Saturday, Oct. 25, you can walk the haunted grounds and bring along non-perishable goods to donate to a cause that saves lives.
“We don’t want to get to a point where we want friends and neighbors choosing between heat and food or medicine and food,” said TJ Michaels, who organizes Pack the Pantry.
Nykie’s kids, now older, help their dad put on the show and give back to the town they grew up in.
If you miss out, Pack the Pantry will also be collecting donations Nov. 20 through Nov. 22.
The Nykiel family said that if you are brave enough, to come knocking next year too for new surprises.
“We just love to give back to our community, and this is just something that we’ve decided that we’re going to do every year,” Nykiel said. “It will be bigger and better every year.”
The Nykiel family invites you to stop by on Saturday and donate non-perishable food items. The haunted tour runs from 7 to 10 p.m. at 388 Paine Turnpike in Berlin.
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