LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Lexington man is turning Halloween scares into charitable giving, hosting his fifth annual haunted maze to raise money for tornado victims in southern Kentucky.
Michael Cronk has transformed his Lincoln Avenue property with a theme he calls "Castle Dracula," a community-built haunted attraction that has already raised over $1,000 for those affected by the EF-4 tornado that hit in May.
"People get excited about it, we had a couple kids come by and their parents said they want to go to the spooky house again this year, so that's exactly why I do it," Cronk said.
The elaborate setup took nearly 25 days to complete, with Cronk working on it whenever he wasn't at his job or sleeping. The maze features handmade elements including Frankenstein's lab, complete with animatronics triggered by pressure mats.
"It's very much a community event, neighbors across the street, next door and two doors down have all helped out...they're much more mechanically inclined than I am," Cronk said.
Most of the haunted attraction is handcrafted, with Cronk noting that only one major piece was store-bought and donated by a friend.
The charitable focus stems from Cronk's understanding that disaster relief needs to extend beyond immediate donations.
"There's the immediacy of people donating, a lot of people turn in money immediately, but the need extends longer than that," Cronk said.
For Cronk, the project represents a perfect balance of community fun and meaningful giving.
"It's that great balance of doing something that benefits people in the long run," Cronk said. "It's enjoying the holiday and the spookiness and the spirit of Halloween."
The haunted maze is open until 10 p.m. Halloween night and 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday for visitors brave enough to take the tour at their own risk.
