Kirtland resident’s haunted creation to benefit Boy Scout Troop 85 Published Oct. 28, 2013 By Jonathan Rejent Nucleus editor KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- One Kirtland resident's dedication to his charitable Halloween event aims to not only give the base community a scare or two, but also benefit the Boy Scouts. For the past month, Bruce Hendrix, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, has been spending his free time building a sizeable haunted house in preparation for the inevitable sea of trick-or-treaters who will be coming by to visit. The "haunted doctor's office" -- located at 8809 Prairie Clover Place SE, Village 3, Kirtland AFB -- will be open from 7 to 9 p.m. Oct. 30 and 31, and 7 to 10 p.m. Nov. 1. While there is no required entry fee, Hendrix said he is accepting donations, which will go to support Boy Scout Troop 85's unserviceable equipment. The creation evolves His creation and its ties with the Boy Scouts began with two disassociated areas of his day-to-day life. Hendrix said he has always enjoyed decorating for Halloween; last year, he created his first haunted house in his garage for trick-or-treaters. "The parents that came in with their kids said I had done a pretty good job," he said. "It was very basic -- a black light, a few glow-in-the-dark spider webs, some skulls ... this year, I decided to take it one step further." The construction of the haunted house, which began in his garage and has since expanded out onto his drive, had become a "daily project" and was constantly evolving. Eventually, it grew to the point where Hendrix said he thought he might be able to ask for donations. Outdated equipment Separate from his haunted hobby, Hendrix, who is also an assistant scout master for Boy Scout Troop 85, volunteered to clean, organize and inventory the troop's storage room and supplies. "That's when I discovered they had outdated and broken equipment," Hendrix said. "They were disassembling things to use the parts to repair other things." The two trains of thought converged. "It dawned on me that the donations (from the haunted house) could be used to purchase new gear and assist with needed repairs," he said. The final hour approaches In its current state, Hendrix has finished building more than 20 walls and has decorated his garage in the spirit of a haunted doctor's office. Hendrix said his ideas were a combination of his own and his wife's, with some technical help from the internet. "She's always been a big help and supporter," he said, referring to his wife, Cindy Hendrix. Aside from Hendrix, assuming the part of "the doctor," and his wife, who will play the role of "the receptionist," a handful of volunteers from his Boy Scout troop plans to act in varying sections of the haunted house, including the "waiting and storage rooms." He said on Halloween night, children can expect to get some candy out of the visit, regardless of whether they traverse the haunted house. Hendrix said he plans to continue the tradition next year.