Zarrillos haunt their house for last time this year to aid food pantry

For the past five years, the Zarrillo family of Carpentersville has transformed their very normal-looking home in the Kimball Farm subdivision into a haunted house that they open to the public for six nights during Halloween.

And while a fun time is had by all, from the "scarers" to the "scarees," there is a much more important reason why they do it.

Admission into the house is free with a nonperishable donation that the Zarrillos deliver to the F.I.S.H. Food Pantry in Carpentersville.

Every year they collect more than 1,000 items, with their greatest result, 1,792 items, in 2005.

It is time, however, says Bonnie Zarrillo -- wife, mother, and haunted homemaker -- for them to hang up their capes and masks. This is going to be the final year of their haunted house.

"We're over 50. It's time," Bonnie laughed.

The Zarrillos begin setting up the entire first floor and the garage of their house every year right after Labor Day. For the next several weeks they live with Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy, and The Creature From the Black Lagoon watching their every move.

"My neighbors are always in amazement. Laundry is always a challenge because it's behind the Mummy's Tomb. Right now the one walkway to get to the Mummy's Tomb is not blocked off, or else I'd have to go through Wolfman's Garden through Dracula and out the door. This weekend the final walls will go up and I'll have to go all the way around -- or not do laundry for a while," Bonnie explained.

By now the family, which also includes husband and father Robert, and 14-year old son Ryan, are pretty used to it. It is the other inhabitants and visitors that just shake their heads, either in disbelief or because they just banged them on something.

"The funniest part was when my mother-in-law came to visit," Bonnie said.

"That year she had to crawl underneath the wall to get upstairs to go to bed and she said, 'You know, you guys should really stop this.' Then this year, one of the dogs plowed right into Wolfman's Wall and we're in the kitchen yelling 'You've got to go around. Follow our voice. Come on, you can do this.'"

This year's changes include a reconfiguration of the maze and some spooky pirates.

"We always change things because we have smart-aleck kids who think they know how to go through," Bonnie said.

As always, though, flashlights are given to the littler kids as a heads-up for those working in the house to tone it down, so it won't be too scary.

The Zarrillos are looking for someone to take over the event and are hoping that perhaps a Jaycees organization might do it.

As for their neighbors taking over, who help with storing the Zarrillos' furniture, working crowd control, and setting up and taking down, Bonnie says, "The husbands would love it; the wives are saying 'No way.'"

But as she looks back, Bonnie says she's glad they did it, especially when she visits the pantry and sees how much they need help.

"I'm glad we did it and I think we've helped the community to realize, first of all, the kinds of things you can give to the F.I.S.H. Pantry. How many of us go on vacations and pick up those little bars of soap and shampoo? Those are all things they need.

"It made the smaller kids aware, because their parents have to explain why they're doing this. That helps kids understand."

So what is to become of the cast of characters stored in the recesses of their home?

"I have no idea," Bonnie said. "Knowing my husband and my son, you're going to get candy from us next year, but it will be in our garage, and it will be at your own risk.

"But this year we'd like go out with a bang."

And a thump. And maybe some clattering.

The Zarrillos' Haunted House is at 5726 Breezeland Road in the Kimball Farm subdivision next to Liberty Elementary School. It will be open today through Sunday and Oct. 26, 27, and 28. Hours are 6 to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 6 to 8 p.m. Sundays.

The Haunted House will not be open on Oct. 31 because the cast wants to go trick-or-treating.

• If you have any news about your club, school, church, business, neighbor, or even yourself, contact Kirstin Finneran by cell at (312) 518-4993 or e-mail at kirstinfinneran@comcast.net.