Bowie Resident Holds Haunted House To Benefit Local Food Pantry

BOWIE, MD — A Bowie resident who annually turns his front yard into a haunted house will once again open his doors for two weekends of spooky, ghoulish fun. Residents are encouraged to bring canned goods or cash donations for the Bowie Food Pantry to gain entry to the attraction.

Tim Jumbelick's haunted house is open to the public from dark (around 7 p.m.) to 10 p.m. Oct. 20, 21, 27, 28 and 31. Jumbelick built the haunted house in his yard at 5016 Patuxent Riding Lane with the help of Mark Torsani and Gary Fisher, who operated the haunted house at the Bowie Baysox for years.

"Halloween has been my hobby for many years," Jumbelick told Patch. "I have always been the guy who decorates his yard with as much crazy stuff as I could build."

Torsani and Fisher sold their show four years ago and have helped Jumbelick grow his haunt ever since. Everyone is welcome to Jumbelick's haunted house, and the attraction is wheelchair accessible. All that he and his wife, Jenny, ask is that Bowie residents drop by with canned food, which will be given to the local food pantry.

"There are two main reasons I/we do this," Jumbelick told Patch. "It scratches our haunted house itch, and because all you need is a canned good to enter it also feeds the hungry."

"I don't know if you've ever gone to bed hungry but I'll tell you from experience it sucks," he told Patch.

Last year the Jumbelicks collected 1,908 food items and $450 in cash for the Bowie Food Pantry. They hope they can donate even more this year.

Tim says their yard haunt features over a dozen stadium-quality props that will make you jump even if you’re fearless.

“It’s a great feeling having people give me food for the privilege of scaring the crap out of them and then passing it on to families that need a boost,” Jumbelick said. “So far we have been all thumbs up from our neighbors with nothing but positive feedback.”

Photos: Tim Jumbelick