Mister Kleen is proud to give back to the community, both as a corporation and through the efforts of individual team members over the years. This fall, one of our Kleen Team managers will be once again hosting a Halloween event that raises funds for Make-A-Wish, a national nonprofit that grants wishes to critically ill children.

After organizing a Haunted Hayride for the last three years, Custodial Services Manager Walter Gesford is switching up the spooky thrills and organizing a Haunted House event on Oct. 12 from 6-10 p.m. at 330 Joshua Road in Stafford.

Why the switch from a hayride to a haunted house? “It’s more fun for our volunteers and less concern with weather conditions for setup,” says Walter’s wife, Hillary. She and their two kids, Tate and Leo, are integral members of the all-volunteer team that puts together the event.

In addition to the Haunted House, which will be open from 8-9 pm, the event includes outdoor festivities running the whole time, including food, movies, shuffleboard, and corn hole.

About 20 volunteers donate their time and Walter pays for most of the expenses so that 100 percent of the donations go directly to Make-A-Wish. This year, a representative from the nonprofit will be attending so that people can make their donations directly to the group when they arrive.

Last year, $1,400 was raised in cash donations at the event, and others sent checks directly to Make-A-Wish. If you’d like to attend this year’s Haunted House and support Make-A-Wish, please RSVP to let them know how many will be coming. You can RSVP by emailing Walter at gesfordw@gmail.com.