Cochranites beware, you’re in for a scare.
Residents are invited to conquer their fears Oct. 31 in the offices of the Royal LePage Benchmark Cochrane, for the brokerage’s first-ever haunted house event to celebrate Halloween.
From 4 to 7:30 p.m., locals can visit the Royal LePage Benchmark office on the corner of 4th Ave. and 1st St. for a thrilling and frightening experience aimed towards children ages 10 and up. A bulk of the office will be transformed into a maze-like experience with frightful surprises that will test the nerves of attendees.
Realtor with Royal LePage, Debbie Leah, said many of the employees at the brokerage share her excitement to host the Halloween attraction for the locals.
“We really love supporting the community,” she said. “Doing this haunted house is another way that we can give back to Cochrane and we are really looking forward to doing it this year, and hopefully expanding on it next year.”
Although there is no admission fee for the event, Leah noted that Royal LePage is accepting food donations for the Cochrane Activettes’ food bank on site.
“If people are interested in brining non-perishable items to the office, we will make sure it makes it to the Cochrane Food Bank,” Leah said.
Ken Morris, associate broker with Royal LePage, shared the same thoughts as Leah. He didn’t want to reveal any of the plans for trick-or-treaters, but he promised they can expect a spooky experience.
“I can’t tell you what we’re going to do of course, that would take [the fun] away,” he said. “But yeah, we turned the office into a haunted house, right? They’ll get their heart rates going while they go through it.”
Another long-standing Halloween initiative by Royal LePage is the business’ annual pumpkin giveaway from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Oct. 22. Morris said the giveaway has taken place for over 20 years, with non-perishable food donations also accepted on site.
“We know that’s a really important thing, to give back to families. That’s what real estate is all about,” he said. “That’s a piece of what we’ve been doing every year.”
Morris added that the office operates the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation to raise funds for shelters in Cochrane for people in need. Events like the haunted house allow Royal LePage to give back to the community, while providing a fun experience for locals.
“It all filters back in the end,” he said. “We sell homes, but we also witness how the community provides shelter for people, and at the same time provides some fun and entertainment, as a community that gets together.
“It’s just a cool thing we do in Cochrane.”
