Julia Sand/Winonan

Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity will host its first Halloween Haunted House on Winona State University grounds to raise money and awareness for St. Jude Pediatric Research Hospital.

There is a long history between St. Jude and Tau Kappa Epsilon (TKE) fraternity; Danny Thomas, founder of St. Jude, was a TKE member.

Last year TKE was part of the event Up Til Dawn, a letter-writing event held to raise money which all benefits St. Jude.

Winona State’s TKE chapter chose this year’s fundraising project to be a seasonal haunted house.

Daniel Horvat, coordinator of the haunted house, said this is the second haunted house he has been a part of.

“I love haunted houses,” Horvat said. “I honestly believe we will have a really good turn out.”

The fraternity plans set up a 60 by 30 foot tent in the courtyard on Main Campus with rope and black plastic to create a maze, Horvat said.

Winona State TKE members are also teaming up with University of Minnesota engineering students. Horvat’s brother is a senior in mechanical engineering at the University of Minnesota. He proposed the idea of creating hi-tech props and devices to a University of Minnesota engineering professor whose course requirements are to complete a design project over the semester.

“The students are currently applying the latest engineering technologies to create some very interesting devices. These devices will move, make scary noises, and will add the overall scare factor of the Haunted House,” Horvat said.

Horvat and TKE President Tommy Koehler explained that one of the devices is a PVC pipe that will move fake spiders up and down using a leverage device.

The haunted house is open and welcome to all Winona State students as well as the greater Winona community—even kids.

The house’s “scare factor” will be adjusted based on entrants’ ages. “We will have [a TKE member] outside the door analyzing groups. He will walkie-talkie to one of the monsters inside the maze and use a certain key-word for what level of scare-factor,” Horvat said.

Admission is $5, and 80 percent of every dollar will go to St. Jude.

“My hopes are that St. Jude will receive at least $1,000 from this event,” Horvat said.

Both Horvat and Koehler agreed that St. Jude is what the haunted house is all about. “We feel strongly about our philanthropy, and we want to contribute to that,” said Horvat.

Alyssa Griffith, president of Up Til Dawn, agrees that this event is great for St. Jude. “It’s really great that other people are supporting such a great organization,” Griffith said.

The haunted house will be held Oct. 26 and 27 from 7-11 p.m. in the Winona State courtyard.

Those who can’t make it to the haunted house but would like to donate to St. Jude can contact Dan Horvat at [email protected]. There will be a donation spot for those who would like to donate the night of the event. Winona State’s GLTBA club will be selling baked goods, and all are encouraged to come for socializing.

More information about the haunted house is available at tkehauntedhouse.com.

Contact Julia at [email protected]