For Ben and his wife, Jessica, supporting the IWK became deeply personal when both of their sons were born prematurely and needed specialized care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Their experience inspired them to find a way to give back — and they found it in something they’ve loved for years: Halloween.
Longtime Halloween enthusiasts, Ben and Jessica even spent their honeymoon at Universal Studios Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights. In 2024, they turned that passion into action by launching Green Fam Farm, a growing haunted attraction dedicated to raising funds for the IWK.
What started with a $2,000 fundraiser in its first year quickly grew. The following year, Green Fam Farm raised an incredible $10,000, welcoming nearly 3,000 visitors and bringing together almost 60 volunteers to help create the experience.
Behind the scares is an incredible community effort. Ben purchases and maintains the attraction’s growing collection of animatronics and decorations, while neighbour and local artist Grant Tomchuk helps design and build many of the themed sets. Family members, neighbours and dozens of volunteers all pitch in, with planning beginning months in advance and construction getting underway each September.
And this year, Green Fam Farm is taking things to an entirely new level.
The team is partnering with House of Doom to create what they hope will be their biggest IWK Halloween fundraiser yet. Visitors can look forward to a more than 1,000-foot-long walkthrough featuring six immersive scare zones, including the popular House of Doom experience. During the day, the event will also offer family-friendly activities, including face painting and bouncy castles.
Together, the team has set an ambitious goal of raising $20,000 for the IWK.
For Ben and Jessica, every scare, every volunteer hour and every donation represents something much bigger: gratitude for the care their family received and a desire to help other families facing difficult moments.
Driven by gratitude, community spirit and a shared love of Halloween, Green Fam Farm is turning spooky fun into meaningful support for families across the Maritimes—one haunted attraction at a time.
Follow Green Fam Farm on social media for event announcements and updates throughout October:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenfamfarmhalloween
Instagram: @GreenFamFarm
