If you like scaring the living daylights out of people this will be right up your alley. The Haunted Mill, located in Clinton, NJ, is seeking volunteer actors age 18 and up. It is a great deal of fun with a wonderfully creative bunch of people.
The event runs on this Friday and Saturday the 23/24 and again on the 30th again. There are 3 separate areas in all with 55 actors minimum needed each night. There is a need for help this on these dates but especially on this weekend.
If you think that you might like to try this even for just a couple of hours please contact Donna Stumm via email at donnastumm@earthlink.net. She will be able to get you to the correct person or give you the info herself.
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This event is about the most offensive thing I have seen. I realize that you all are supporting this without realizing the consequences, but this event and the dispicable language used to promote it serve only to demonize people with physical and mental disabilities and teach our children to fear them. Please do not dissgrace yourselves and the fire dept through your affiliation with this hateful and hurtful event.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your feedback Michael. This event is meant to be a fun event with no connection to reality. I can see how it could be offensive and we will definitely share your thoughts with the folks that are responsible for creating the overall theme.
ReplyDeleteTo all the staff members who participated in the construction of “The Asylum of Terror”:
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe that your staff or volunteers do not understand the significance of this horrendous event you are sponsoring of the haunted asylum.
Mental Health practitioners, organizations and families have been fighting for many years to reverse the pervasive misconceptions concerning mental illness.
This stigma is pervasive and has not moved very far for years, despite heroic educational efforts to do so by the mental health community.
The fact of the matter is that persons with a mental illness are victims of violence and are no more likely to act out in a dangerous manner than the general population.
We can undo the stigma but your event sets us back immeasurably and discourages people from seeking mental health treatment.
Impressionable children and adolescents will be the prime customers at your event: they more than anyone cannot distinguish between fantasy and reality.
Your actions are reckless and thoughtless.
We urge you to rethink your event.
Deborah Richman, LCSW
President NAMI-Middlesex
Vice President NAMI New Jersey
(NAMI= the National Alliance on Mental Illness)
This fundraiser is a pefect example of why there is such a stigma attached to having a mental illness. It's appalling that the haunted house's theme focuses on real psychiatric afflictions that affect so many real people. It's insensitive and shows a lack of compassion for those struggling to cope with a psychiatric illness on a daily basis. As a member of Middlesex NAMI and a retired teacher, I am disgusted that this is your idea of celebrating Halloween.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Blogger45, there is definitely a "connection to reality", which is not "fun" for those families coping with mental illness.
Rosemarie Kimmell
As a person who is involved in many non-profit activities, I am well aware of the necessity of generating funds for the admirable work you do to benefit your community. However, I implore you to rethink your fundraiser-The Asylum of Terror. The stigma attached to mental illness will only be furthered by programs such as this.
ReplyDeleteSusanne Clark
To previous posters: No one cares if you're offended.
ReplyDeleteStep 1: Get over yourself.
Step 2: Relax and learn to enjoy life.
Step 3: Learn that the people will often do things of which you disapprove, and that you must accept this. You will be much happier.
You whiners are stuck in primary process. Leave these poor volunteers alone and let them have their fundraiser in peace.
I am not affiliated with this activity in any way, and do not even live in the area. I just hate to see good people trying to put on a fundraiser get pilloried by a bunch of special interest whiners. The fact that you have too much free time doesn't mean that you can dictate to other people how to use theirs.