Above: Photo by Michael Ravenelle.

By Haroon Hasnain

From the moment Zaphire Borghi was born, his parents were given the scare of their lives due to his birth being premature. Luckily for Zaphire and his family he had recovered from his many health problems and is now alongside his parents giving their community all the scares they can manage.

Each year the Borghi family sets up a haunted themed attraction at no set cost for admission. They run solely off of a suggested $5 donation. The reason, besides the delight they receive from scaring individuals, is to raise as much as possible to donate to hospitals as their way of helping all those families who have felt the terror they had experienced all those years ago.

Zaphires mother, Amy Borghi, an instructor at Chaffey's "Opening Doors" program stated, "I feel like doing something that helps sick children, I know a lot of parents that cant afford to help their children and we wanted to help them in some way."

Located at 12798 Camassia Ct. Rancho Cucamonga, the Borghis family home has become this years venue for their annual haunted maze, appropriately dubbed "RC Haunt". With over 75 individuals volunteering, the maze is run from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on from Oct. 28 to the 31.

This years theme is centered around a story they created titled, "Zaphire's failed experiment". Having experimented with dangerous chemicals one night, an explosion filled the house with a toxic gas which soon caused blindness and mental deterioration in anyone who came into contact with the fumes. Having been quarantined, the house is now filled with psychotic patients and disfigured abnormalities. With a suggested age of 12 and up, the Borghi family reminds people to "enter at your own risk."

The funds raised this year will be donated to St. Judes Hospital in Fullerton.

"We like to scare people, but we like to help people too," Amy Borghi said.

Another Halloween attraction is The Haunted Hayride at the Pumpkin Patch in Live Oak Canyon, Redlands. The haunted hayride at the Pumpkin Factory in Redlands goes from 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 28 and 29. It costs just over $20 each to take a "frightful journey through the pumpkin patch at night.” A minimum age requirement of 16 is required. The staff claim the event is not for the “faint of heart.”

Parental discretion is advised for The Crossroads Haunted Village in Corona, the third attraction on this list. It is located at 14600 Barron Dr. and features six haunted attractions in one location, including Coffin Creek haunted mazes, tours, and a hay ride through a haunted village. The CHV charges $13 for a single attraction, $20 for 2 attractions and $30 for 2 attractions along with a fast pass. Another attraction in Crossroads Haunted Village is the Pandemonium Magic Show, taking place from Oct. 28 to 31. It goes from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on, Sunday and Halloween. However, on Friday and Saturday they open from 7 p.m – 12 p.m.

Last but not least, located at 3746 University, Riverside is the 25th Anniversary Riverside Ghost Walk which includes five spooky storytelling tours including some that are appropriate for young kids along with live entertainment, a kids carnival, souvenir stands, food vendors, and much more. California Riverside Ballet hosts the event, and admission is $15 on Oct. 28 and 29 from 6 p.m to 10 p.m. It is a rain or shine event.

A Halloween Experiment