Scouts create scary, fun Haunted Maze in Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe scouts want to scare you.
If skeletons in coffins, knife-wielding killers, and all sorts of scary stuff excite you, then stop by the Haunted Maze at the Jim Thorpe Camping Resort, 129 Lentz Trail. This is the fourth year for the maze, presented by Boy Scout Troop 138 of Jim Thorpe.
The scouts and some of the leaders are actors in the walk-through maze and have been working hard setting up the entire production.
“We have been working on this, building the props and the various rooms around the maze,” said Troop Leader Lance Szoke.
Each year, the maze is different, so it won’t be the same as last year.
“The money we raise helps to send our scouts to summer camp,” Szoke explained. “We do other fundraisers during the year as well, but this is our biggest fundraiser.”
The scouts are also selling refreshments, such as macaroni and cheese, barbecue, soft pretzels, popcorn, and drinks.
“We also want to thank the Jim Thorpe Camping Resort,” Szoke added. “They do a lot for our troop, allowing us to use their site and the pavilion.”
The Haunted Maze will be open from 6 to 9 p.m. on today and Saturday.
The troop has 10 scouts, six of whom will become Eagle Scouts this year. They are hoping more scouts will join them, and adult volunteers as well. They meet at 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays at St. John’s Lutheran Church on Sixth and North streets in Jim Thorpe.
For more information about the Troop, they can be reached by email at bstroop138@gmail.com or call 484-764-1396.
In addition to the Boy Scouts, Pennsylvania Outdoor Veterans has an information table set up at the maze to explain their organization and accept donations.
“We are based out of Palmerton,” explained Brad King, who is from Ewing, New Jersey. “We are in the process of building a retreat center in Jim Thorpe.”
“Our group’s main goal is to get veterans back out in nature and help them recover from the stresses of PTSD,” King said. “Dealing with depression and anxiety, and promoting camaraderie, we do retreats, eBike rides and more.”
Visit them online at paoutdoorveterans.org.