LITHIA, Fla. — A Hillsborough County family turns their garage and backyard into a haunted house every Halloween.
It has become an annual tradition for the Kugler family.
Tim Kugler and his wife, Shawna, said the Fright House attracts more than 1,000 visitors every year.
"Our oldest daughter is 19 years old and so when she was born, my husband wanted something the kids could grow up with as a tradition that the family always did," Shawna said. "We thought it might be other holidays and then we had our first Halloween where we started scaring kids when they got candy and my husband said that’s our tradition."
The Kugler family partners with Seeds of Hope, a local charity. Admission is free, but trick-or-treaters are asked to bring non-perishable food items.
"Seeds of Hope is a food bank and they do all non-perishable food," Shawna said. "Every Thursday, they have a drive-thru food bank. We collect cash from the haunted house and that goes straight back to them or any non-perishable food items also go back to them."
The Kugler family made sure to include a time frame that allows children who do not wish to be scared to still enter the haunted house.
"It allows the little kids, or even just the bigger kids, who don't want to be scared to go through," Shawna said. "They can still walk the maze andpath, but nobody is going to jump out and scare them."
But right when it's 7 p.m., trick-or-treaters should be prepared to be scared.
"You’re going to walk through and probably drop your candy," Shawna said. "You'll run and cry, but that’s what we’re aiming to do."
ABC Action News spoke to little trick-or-treaters who discovered their bravery.
"I finally did it without crying," said a nine-year-old trick-or-treater. "Since I moved here, I’ve done it, but I’ve cried. But then this time, I didn't cry, so I’m really proud of myself."
The Fright House opened on Oct. 26 and ends on November 1.
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