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Family's land is a 'Backyard Nightmare'

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By Kelsey Cano, Staff Writer Updated 8:54 AM Thursday, October 27, 2011

FAIRFIELD — In 2009, when Josh Lahmann broke his neck as he attempted a flip off a cliff into water, he didn’t have medical insurance.

But Lahmann wasn’t the only one scared. His friends opened up a haunted trail around Halloween and asked for donations to help with Lahmann’s medical bills.

Now in its third and last year, Backyard Nightmare, comprised of a haunted trail and haunted barns in the backyard of 1595 Hunter Road, has helped cover Lahmann’s medical bills and has collected thousands in donations for Shriners Hospital for Children in Cincinnati, said JD Elleman, co-founder of Backyard Nightmare.

After Lahmann’s medical bills were covered in 2009 with the help of $1,400 in donations at Backyard Nightmare, the group of friends decided they weren’t finished — they decided to continue Backyard Nightmare. Last year, the group raised $2,600 for Shriners.

“All we do is ask for donations,” Elleman said. “Kids about 8 or 9, they give a quarter or 50 cents. The majority of the money we make comes from people going once, then going the second, third or fourth times and being blown away with it,” he said.

About 40 people will help on the trail, but a group of about six people has been building everything for the haunted trail since August, Lahmann said. The trail takes about 10 to 15 minutes to walk through, Elleman said.

While the haunted trail has been a success, this will be its last year.

“Through the years, it’s all been out of pocket,” said Elleman, 21. “We’re college kids, and we’re trying to make a living. It’s a financial strain.”

But in its last year, the group is making this year’s Backyard Nightmare “bigger and better than ever.”

In addition to collecting donations for the haunted trail, there will also be a bake sale and a raffle, he said. All donations are donated to Shriners, and the group pays for all the expenses related to building and operating the haunted trail, he said.

“Since we did so well last year, we’re doing it again this year,” Elleman said. “We’re hoping to make even more money (for Shriners) than we did last year. As long as we make some money, it will help.”