Next week, the Cheyenne River Youth Project® will launch its 2014 Halloween programming, a series of events designed to bring thrills and fun to community members of all ages. This year’s activities, which kick off on Wednesday, October 22, will include a Halloween Carnival, a Scary Movie Marathon, CRYP’s annual Haunted House, and the eagerly anticipated Ghoul-A-Grams.
The Halloween Carnival and Masquerade Ball, scheduled for 6-9 p.m. on Wednesday, October 22, will take place in the Cokata Wiconi teen center’s gymnasium. It’s open free to the public, and a signature highlight will be the 2014 Family Costume Contest.
“We’re really looking forward to seeing families attend the carnival together, and have fun together with their costumes,” said Tammy Eagle Hunter, CRYP’s youth programs director. “The contest will be exciting, because the winning family will get a free Family Services membership for a year.”
Next, on Friday, October 24, staff and volunteers will host an all-night Scary Movie Marathon for youth ages 13-18. Permission slips are required for the lock-in event, which will run from 10 p.m. on Friday to 5 a.m. on Saturday. At press time, teens at Cokata Wiconi were preparing to vote on their favorite scary movies; the winners will appear on the marathon playlist.
All movies will be shown on CRYP’s big screen in the Keya Cafe, a theater-grade setup that includes a high-quality projector and sound system. CRYP acquired the setup with the assistance of a USDA Rural Development Community Facilities grant two years ago, and Eagle Hunter said it’s been a much-appreciated addition to Cokata Wiconi.
“Years ago, the kids would watch movies on a big TV, but that’s not the same as watching them on a big screen,” she noted. “For our kids to be able to have a movie-theater experience here in Eagle Butte is a big deal, because we live more than 90 miles from the nearest theater. Special events like our Scary Movie Marathon give them an option for something fun to do on a Friday night, in a safe, positive, healthy environment.”
Then, on Wednesday, October 29 and Thursday, October 30, Cheyenne River’s young people will line up outside the doors to Cokata Wiconi’s gymnasium for the celebrated annual CRYP Haunted House. On Wednesday, the haunted house will be open free to all kids ages 6 to 18, and open to adult community members for a donation of two canned items per person; on Thursday, youth may enter for $3 apiece and adults for $5 apiece. The haunted house will be open from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. each day.
CRYP typically sees 200 or more kids attend its annual haunted house, which makes the attraction a major part of the Cheyenne River community’s Halloween festivities.
Finally, on Friday, October 31, staff and volunteers will offer their famous “Ghoul-A-Grams” throughout the Cheyenne River community. A CRYP fundraising tradition that dates to the early 1990s, the 2014 grams will incorporate $10 grams for a small treat, a dance, and a card; $13 grams for a bag of popcorn, a dance, and a card; and $15 grams for a caramel apple, a dance, and a card; and $20 grams for a Keya Cafe gift certificate, a dance, a card, and a small treat.
Grams can be sent to anyone, anywhere, on Cheyenne River; the ghouls will deliver the grams at 15-minute intervals from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. The recipients also will receive goodie bags.
“Our theme for the grams this year is ‘CarnEvil,’ so we’re going to let our staff members’ and volunteers’ imaginations run wild,” said Eagle Hunter, who is known for transforming CRYPers into very believable ghouls through her spooky face-painting. “It’s going to be so much fun, and it’s an important community-wide fundraiser to support our youth programming. So consider ordering a Ghoul-A-Gram for a friend or loved one! Just call us at 605-964-8200, and we’ll do the rest.”
The Cheyenne River Youth Project, founded in 1988, is a grassroots, not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing the youth of the Cheyenne River reservation with access to a vibrant and secure future through a wide variety of culturally sensitive and enduring programs, projects and facilities that ensure strong, self-sufficient families and communities.