Foxboro Jaycees Haunted House - Text Only Info

Why did the Jaycee haunted house end?

2008-07-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

While we were hoping to have one more season and make it an even 20 years in 2008, there simply wasn’t enough manpower to make the project feasible. Also, times have changed, and all haunted houses have noticed marked drops in attendance over the years. People’s interest in events like amusement parks and haunted houses have waned.

You may know that in 1989, the Mansfield and Foxboro Jaycees embarked on a new, untested fund raiser - a haunted house. By 1992, the Foxboro Jaycees haunted house was an annual event for more than nine thousand visitors each year. Over the last 19 years, we have run our haunt in tunnels under an abandoned hospital on Payson Road, through the woods of Camp Lincoln Hill, and even at the Walpole Mall. In 2006 and 2007 we were delighted to partner with the Orpheum for the haunted theater. All proceeds – 100% -- always went directly back into the community.

The closing of the haunted house means we must look to new fundraisers to support our community work.

The Foxboro Jaycees continue to be a dynamic, enthusiastic volunteer organization dedicated to enhancing quality of life through community development projects while growing the skills of our members and providing an opportunity to make lifelong friendships.

We are responsible for a multitude of Foxboro community service projects, such as Founders Day Activities, Literacy Challenge, Summer Concerts on the Common, Easter Egg Hunt, My Hero Essays, Sand for Seniors, Relay for Life, as well as Christmas activities such as Santa on the common, decorating the common with Christmas lights, and refurbishing and setting up the nativity set, and far more.

We built and maintain the Foxboro Common bandstand, the Booth Skating Park and the Payson Road Playground.

We donate money to over 30 different charities, needy individuals, athletes and human service organizations. We donate thousands of dollars each year to the Foxboro Discretionary Fund, Founders Day fireworks committee, Foxboro High School college bound seniors, South Foxboro Community Club and various sports leagues in Foxboro.

Around Foxboro, we are also actively involved helping other worthwhile causes.

We ask for your continued support for our new Ways & Means projects, which will allow us to continue to do our good work in Foxboro.

And we’d love to meet you. If you’re interested in learning more about us, you can visit our web site at http://www.foxborojaycees.org.

Interested in joining us? Anyone 18+ is welcome! Come to our meetings on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at the South Foxboro Community Club at 8pm.

It’s very important to note that the Jaycees are just one of many community organizations that need your help. Volunteerism and memberships are down in all the fraternal organizations -- and that’s a shame. The esteemed Foxboro Grange is no more because of declining membership. And every other organization, including the Jaycees, face a bleak future unless new people start stepping up to “pick up the torch.”

So if you have time, please consider talking to folks at the Knights of Columbus, or the Rotary, or any of the other groups in town. Offer to help at Camp Saint Augustine. Or your child’s school. Or the community farm stand. Help is needed for various Doolittle Home events. The Senior Center can always use more smiling volunteers. And the food pantry and discretionary fund always welcome helpers. Your church can always use volunteers. Even if you have only a little time, make the time to give back and be part of something bigger than yourself. It feels fantastic!

One final note about the haunted house. We sincerely thank the town of Foxboro for letting us use the Payson Road Auditorium and Camp Lincoln Hill. We thank our friends at the Walpole Mall for the store front for the Mini-haunt, and send a very special shout-out and thank you to our great friends at the Orpheum Foxboro for two amazing haunts in 2006 and 2007. Please check out the Orpheum’s impressive schedule and top-quality shows by CLICKING HERE

We thank the tens of thousands of patrons who visited our haunted house over 19 years, as well as the Jaycees and volunteers who performed night after night, built sets and assisted in the seemingly infinite tasks required to create and maintain our haunted house. We also thank the many businesses who donated building materials and our sponsors. All of you made a difference.

It was a privilege and thrill for us to perform for you. And your ticket paid for so many community services activities and scholarships and donations. Thank you.

We’ll all miss the haunted house, but there is still so much more to be done. You can help by supporting any community service group or volunteering your services to those who need it.

And please continue to come out and support the Jaycees at our many upcoming events.

Thank you!

Tell me about the Orpheum Foxboro.

2007-10-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

The Orpheum Theater was originally built in 1926 as a silent movie house. Through several owners and a conversion to a three-screen theater in 1984, it continued to show movies until it was closed in 1989. The Foxboro Regional Center for the Performing Arts (FRCPA) was established in 1993 and purchased the building with the purpose of renovating and operating it as a functional live performance theater. The theater re-opened in September 1994 and housed several local community arts organizations, including Bay Colony Productions.

Bay Colony Productions was founded in 1999, a local community theater organization dedicated to promoting the performing arts in the area through both high quality performances and devoted educational programs.

In October 2004, Bay Colony Productions purchased the Orpheum Theater from FRCPA. Bay Colony continues to conduct business under the name of the Orpheum Theater and presents professional quality stage plays, musical theater, dance, musical events, youth theater programs, charity events and concerts, movies and family entertainment.

In 2008 the theater underwent a complete internal renovation and is more impressive and beautiful than ever.

Today, Bay Colony Productions at the Orpheum Theater is recognized, respected and well-known throughout the area as a source of entertainment, education, cultural impact and influence in the community.

Orpheum Theater Foxboro
1 School Street
P.O. Box 266
Foxboro, MA 02035

Box Office: 508-543-2787
Web Site:
www.Orpheum.org or http://www.baycolonyproductions.com

Tell me about the Foxboro Jaycees.

2007-10-19T17:43:00.000-07:00

Part of the worldwide Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycee) organization founded in 1918, the Foxboro Jaycees were chartered in 1961 and are a a dynamic, enthusiastic volunteer organization dedicated to enhancing quality of life through community development projects while growing the skills of its members and providing an opportunity to make lifelong friendships.

The Foxboro Jaycees are responsible for a multitude of Foxboro community service projects, such as their annual haunted house fund-raiser (Since 1989, Foxboro's original haunt!), Founders Day Activities, Literacy Challenge, Summer Concerts on the Common, Easter Egg Hunt, My Hero Essays, Sand for Seniors, Relay for Life, as well as Christmas activities such as Santa on the common, decorating the common with Christmas lights, and refurbishing and setting up the nativity set, and far more.

They built and maintain the Foxboro Common bandstand, the Booth Skating Park and the Payson Road Playground.

The Foxboro Jaycees offer something for everyone. They have sports game outings, installation banquet, scavenger hunt, pickup volleyball, scrapbooking, Jaycee golf open, book club, scat card game, softball, progressive dinner, camping hiking trip, kid's Christmas party, CPR training and more!

The Foxboro Jaycees donate money to over 26 different charities, needy individuals, athletes and human service organizations. They donate thousands of dollars each year to the Foxboro Discretionary Fund, Founders Day fireworks committee, Foxboro High School college bound seniors, South Foxboro Community Club and various sports leagues in Foxboro.

Around Foxboro, they are also actively involved helping other worthwhile causes. They are the number one rated Jaycee chapter in the state of Massachusetts.

Their haunted house ran 19 years, closing in 2007, and was their biggest fund raiser of the year and ALL (yes, ALL) of the Jaycee haunted house proceeds go back into the community. By visiting their haunted house, you help them make possible our multitude of community services, as well as scholarships, donations, and far more.

Foxboro Jaycees
PO Box 169
Foxboro, MA 02035
508-543-0712

Web Site: www.FoxboroJaycees.org

How did your haunted house begin?

2007-10-12T17:34:00.000-07:00

In 1989, the Mansfield and Foxboro Jaycees embarked on a new, untested fund raiser - a haunted house. By 1992, the Foxboro Jaycees haunted house was an annual event for more than nine thousand visitors each year. Over the last 20 years, we have run our haunt in tunnels under an abandoned hospital, through the woods of an old camp, and even at a mall. In 2006 and 2007 we were delighted to partner with the Orpheum for the haunted theater. 2007 was our final season.

Where can I find pictures, credits and information about previous Haunted Houses?

2007-08-12T17:15:00.000-07:00

CLICK HERE for previous haunts back to 2000, photo galleries, credits, awards, graphics, and far more.

How do I get to the other content on the Foxboro Jaycees web site?

2007-08-08T17:14:00.000-07:00

Our web site is www.FoxboroJaycees.org

How do I contact your webmaster?

2007-08-04T17:13:00.000-07:00

He's Robert Gillis and you can send him email at robertxgillis@aol.com