Horror booth to benefit poor kids opens

MANDAUE City’s annual Halloween horror booth opened yesterday at the Mandaue City Sports Complex, drawing a large crowd of thrill seekers.

Proceeds will support a Christmas party in December for indigent children in the city’s 27 barangays.

Sarah Walker Cortes, the mayor’s wife, showed up in costume as a corpse bride for the event, which has the theme “Kahadlok mo, pinaskuhan ko.”

She said last year’s activity sold 20,000 tickets and raised around P400,000.

This year, 25,000 tickets are being sold at P20 each.

The Halloween booth has three chambers. You have to buy a separate ticket to visit each chamber.

The horror booth is open from 1 p.m. to 12 midnight until Nov. 2.

With 60 “zombies” to spice up the activity, organizers assured that the experience would be worth the ticket.

But they advised those who have weak hearts as well as pregnant women not to visit.

Mandaue City Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede said the Kaabag Foundation was given an exemption from paying amusement tax since their proceeds go back to the community.

Proceeds will also contribute to the building of a center for juvenile offenders and to fund feeding programs, which the foundation regularly conducts.

Violeta Cavada, City Social Welfare Services head, said they have already identified indigent children who will be joining the Christmas party tentatively scheduled on Dec. 22.

Aside from spending for food and parlor games for the children, organizers will ensure children will receive grocery items to take home.  Reporter Jucell Marie P. Cuyos