“Will you play with me?” a small, frail girl with sunken-in eyes asks. Her clothes are dirty, ragged, and...covered in blood. She's Dacy Rehding, an orphan who roamed the streets of Wyandotte looking for a playmate until it drove her mad.
The eerie story of 8-year-old Rehding is the inspiration for Bloodbath on Biddle – this year's Wyandotte Jaycees haunted house. When Jaycees volunteers were exploring the old City Hall building – the location of the haunted house this year – they came across a file containing Dacy's story and knew she needed to live on.
“Bloodbath on Biddle is Dacy's playland,” said Event Chairman John Dehring, whose daughter, Cady, plays Dacy.
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The haunted house is a two-story, 18-room tour of terror, with themes like “Snow White and the Demented Dwarves” and “Alice and the not-so-Wonderful Land.”
Dehring explains that Bloodbath, which opened Oct. 10, came together thanks to the cumulative efforts of eight directors, 35 to 40 volunteers, and partnerships with various local businesses. The proceeds will benefit Jaycees community events for the upcoming year including Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets for the needy, an Easter egg hunt, and a senior spaghetti dinner.
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“This is a fundraiser for the Jaycees, we're a non-profit organization for adults age 21 to 40,” said Dehring. “This has always been a fundraiser, but it's also transformed into a community service project because we work with so many high schoolers and teach them construction, electrical work, even drama and acting.”
The lessons paid off. The space that once held community records and city council meetings has been transformed into an creepy maze with haunts around every corner. A deranged Alice (from the not-so Wonderful Land) skips down the hallway wielding a bloody axe and giggling.
“My favorite part is making men three times my size fall over screaming and pee their pants,” said Alice, played by 18-year-old Allie Mayrand. Her parents are longtime Jaycees members; she's been working the haunted house annually for a decade.
In the 37th year of the Jaycees haunted house, the group is maximizing on the downtown location, according to Marketing Director Allan Joseph. For Third Friday, they're bringing in street performers from the Detroit Circus and the Downriver Roller Dolls roller derby team will be working and accepting donations.
The Jaycees have also teamed up with local businesses to provide a date night package, which includes a voucher for Joe's Hamburgers and admission to a screening of the Rocky Horror Picture Show. For a complete list of ticket prices and events, see the official Bloodbath Web page at www.wyandottejaycees/hh. Or, call 734-288-7024 for more information.
