Friendly spirits help club support youth
The Rotarian
At the Inn at Jim Thorpe, which dates to the mid-1800's, friendly spirits help the local Rotary club with fundraising.
F undraising can be a hair-raising, scary event – especially in one small town in Pennsylvania, where local Rotary club members are hoping this year’s Halloween will be just as lucrative as years past.
Since 1999, the Rotary Club of Jim Thorpe has raised $20,000 through its annual ghost walk. The money goes to support community programs, especially those for local youth.
The club taps into local lore told about its historic buildings on its spirited stroll, which begins at the Inn at Jim Thorpe, an old Victorian hotel. There guests are greeted by a friendly spirit – a local Rotarian – dressed as a ghost, who distributes tickets and talks about Rotary.
Last year’s event drew nearly 600 people, says event chair Bob Stevenson. “That’s 600 people we told how Rotary can make a difference in a community.”
Visitors tour the old Lehigh Coal and Navigation garage (now Café Origins) where it’s rumored that ghost garage employees annoy the present owner with late night parties – complete with cigar smoking and noisy clinking of glasses.
The tour runs every Friday and Saturday from 29 September through 10 November. For more information contact Bob Stevenson at 570-325-2346.