CLARKTON — Once again, Murphy Brown Farms has stepped up to the plate to help make it possible for kids in Clarkton to play baseball. For the second year in a row, the company has offered to let the Clarkton Dixie Youth Baseball program use an abandoned house on company property for the baseball group’s Haunted House. The Haunted House is one of the Clarkton DYB’s annual fund-raisers.

As an all-volunteer organization, the Clarkton DYB program must depend on raising funds and asking for donations to keep the local program going. Last year, they asked Murphy Brown Farms for the use of the abandoned house, and Murphy Brown came through.

"Last year, we had the best-ever haunted house we’ve ever had," said Marsha Burney, Clarkton DYB chairman. "The house was perfect for this fundraiser, and the Murphy Brown folks were super nice to us. When we asked if we could use the house again this year, Murphy Brown didn’t hesitate a second before giving us the okay."

The abandoned house the company owns is near one of its farms on Hwy. 211 East (about three miles outside of Clarkton).

"It’s a spooky old house even without our decorations and ghostly characters," Burney said. "But, just like last year, we got more than just the use of an old house with this deal."

Several months ago, the group contacted Walt Burney, a Murphy Brown employee who lives in Clarkton, and he called the home office with the group’s request for the use of the house for this year, too.

"The Murphy Brown folks were just as wonderful to us this year as they were last year," Burney said. "Without them, we’d struggle to raise funds so the kids in Clarkton can have a nice place to play baseball."

Murphy Brown has contacted the Clarkton DYB group several times to make sure they had all they needed to plan and host the haunted -ouse.

The Clarkton DYB program hosts several big fundraisers throughout the year. All proceeds are poured into the town’s youth baseball complex for maintenance, upkeep and improvement projects.

Burney said her group had been extremely fortunate in the past to have help from the businesses in and around Clarkton. "Murphy Brown has now become another of our faithful supporters," she said. "We are so grateful to them."

Dixie Youth Baseball is a program for kids between the ages of 6 and 12. The program is run entirely by volunteers.

"Last year, we topped the funds we had previously raised with a haunted house fundraiser," Burney added. "We expect this year to be even better than last."

The Haunted House will be held from 8:00 p.m. until midnight on the following dates: Friday, Oct. 24; Saturday, Oct. 25; Thursday, Oct. 30; Friday, Oct. 31; and, Saturday, Nov. 1. Admission is $5 per adult and $3 for children ages 12 and under.

As you are leaving the town of Clarkton on Hwy. 211 East, headed toward Bolton, the house is three miles out on the left. There will be signs beside the road.

The Clarkton DYB group has a reputation of having the scariest haunted house anywhere around, and Burney said her group wants to keep that tradition going. "When you come to Clarkton and go through our haunted house, you’ll get the scare of your life," Burney concluded. "You’ll also be helping to support our program, and we realize that none of this would have been possible without Murphy Brown!"