The DeLuca family’s haunted house in Whitby, Ont. is back for its fifth year with a full-sized animatronic moving corpse, an electric chair with a prisoner, a monster chamber featuring a live “monster”, an animatronic reaper and more surprises.

This annual event began with sales rep Chris DeLuca of Sutton Group – Heritage Realty and his family participating in the Toronto Zombie Walk. “We had such fun dressing up and preparing awesome makeup, then walking through downtown Toronto with thousands of zombies that we wanted to continue the fun on Halloween night,” he says.

They staged their first haunted house in 2013 and people loved it. When the Toronto Zombie Walk was cancelled, their house became zombie central. With the event drawing more people each year, they hope to set another record: collecting 600 pounds of food.

“We were extremely proud that visitors to our 2016 haunted house donated so generously,” says Gail DeLuca, office co-ordinator at the brokerage and Chris’ mother. “Visitors were not the only donors: after giving out all 500 treat bags, Chris was forced to raid his own children’s candy. The kids gladly accommodate us because they love the haunted house almost as much as we do.”

The house at 29 Robert Attersley Dr. E. in Whitby is open on Halloween night from 7 to 10 pm. Admission is free, but the DeLucas request donations of non-perishable food items for Feed the Need in Durham. In 2016, they handed out 500 treat bags to visitors and collected 491 pounds of food. Gail says the family is busy working on “bigger and better scares” and amassing a mountain of candy. There will also be a colouring contest with prizes.

Visitors are encouraged to bring nutritious, non-perishable items such as baby food, powdered milk, canned beans, tuna and nut butter.