San Jose couple puts on elaborate Halloween display for charity
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- A San Jose couple transformed their home into a huge Halloween attraction, and it's all for a good cause.
The theme this year is based on the movie "The Nightmare Before Christmas."
Like the character Jack Skellington, people make their way from Halloween Town to Christmas Town - with fake snow and all.
Since August, Britta Peterson and her husband Glen have worked on this walk-around scene experience with several photo ops and interactive games with prizes.
Britta Peterson worked at the movie theater during college and when the movie came out, saved memorabilia including a cardboard standee of the moon and spiral hill.
"My husband doesn't like this theme as much, there's nothing really scary he said - it's like a Halloween musical comedy and I said yes! That's why I love it," Britta Peterson said.
Tuesday marked the 10th night the Peterson's opened their home to the public - and it's all for a good cause.
"Free admission for the event but we are requesting people support our fundraiser for Give Kids the World Village. It's a resort in Orlando for critically ill children and their families to have a week of fun together," Peterson said.
The opportunity allows families in and out of hospitals to visit Disneyworld or Universal.
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Peterson said so far, $4,500 have been raised this year and they're hoping to cross the $5,000 mark Tuesday night. Last year, they raised $15,000.
"The $10,000 actually can support two families of four for an entire week at the resort because it's through Make-A-Wish, the families aren't paying the money to go there; it's that Make-A-Wish will get them to be there so they can actually have fun," Peterson said.
San Jose resident Destiny Salinas brought her two sons to the neighborhood and noticed the house because of the long line outside.
"It's exciting. The kids you know, they're having fun going trick-or-treating to the houses nearby so during the wait time they were able to get candy from the neighbors," Salinas said.
The line to see the house stretches down the block.
Peterson said on Sunday some people waited as long as three hours.
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Trick-or-treaters we heard from said the wait was worth it.
Campbell resident Itzel Sanchez heard about the house through Facebook.
"It definitely is incredible how much effort they put on the house," Sanchez said.
The Peterson's will personally match however much money they raised.
They said next year's theme will be Disney's Haunted Mansion.
Britta Peterson hopes next year they can create a timed entry system. She suggests people interested in visiting next year visit their web page Eerie Elegance for updates.
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