When you’re nearing the century mark, caskets at Halloweentime might seem less like spooky fun and more like a sobering reminder of your mortality. The residents at Alderwood Estates, a Canadian retirement living community in Witless Bay, Newfoundland, have a great sense of humor about death, however.
In celebration of Halloween, the seniors participated in an elaborate haunted house. Many dressed up in costume, complete with makeup. Teresa Lawrence, 91, even bravely laid in a casket for the holiday fun.
“I’m 91 but some days I feel like 90,” Lawrence joked to CBC News. “I’m quite a fan of Halloween. The kids enjoy it, and I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t enjoy it.”
Lawrence wasn’t the only one willing to gamely jump in the casket. According to Rene Houlihan, the recreation director at Alderwood Estates, they almost had to do a lottery to decide which residents would get the opportunity to be the ones to pop out of the caskets, on loan from Daltons Caskets.
“The theme of the night is Club Med turns to Club Dead,” Houlihan says in the video. “And this is a time when the residents take over and mayhem ensues.”
Houlihan explains that the residents had been working on their characters and costumes for a week in preparation for the event. A local funeral home also parked a hearse outside the facility to add to the creepy mood. Now that is dedication! The kids who visited the haunted house looked like they had a great time and had some awesome scares as well.
“Everyone [the residents] enjoyed it immensely, everyone was just marvelous, everyone was in the right mood,” Lawrence toldCTV News.
This is the second year that the community has put on the haunted house. They were expecting 30-40 grandkids that first year, but 400 showed up!
Since it was such a success, we’re guessing — and hoping — it will continue for years to come!
Check out this video of the haunted house, posted to YouTube by CBC:
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for other great tips and ideas to make the most out of life.
