Hello world. Welcome to WFHR's rapid support. Probably brought to you by
Crocatsceptic for this September 24th, 2025. Have your host James here. Hope you all
are having a great day out there. It's about to get a lot better because we
are bringing in our good friends from the ODC. We've got Anne Lee peck with us
and always good to see you. Good to see you. And Ashley, Nick with us. Ashley,
thanks for being here. Thank you. Appreciate you. Thanks for being here. We
appreciate you guys being here and certainly where we get to start our
topics. And by now you know I love October. I love Halloween. We get to start
with haunted house and something that Seth and I were talking about on our
morning show and just kind of the conversation continued afterwards where
you you hope for things and you know, oh you guys come up with this idea and
you're going to bring it to the audience to the community here and everything.
And then all of a sudden it happens and the the response that you guys have
gotten from this. It is just risen up and up in the last couple of years that
you've done it. I just before we get into some of the things about it, how great
is it in that building when this comes up and you guys are talking about this
haunted house and the way the community is responded to it? Yeah, well it's
actually it's amazing because we've been working on it basically since we
ended last year and so really trying to keep it fresh and change up the theme a
bit. But yeah, we are just so thankful for the community that comes out every
year and then this year we actually had a great response from some businesses to
offer some volunteer help as well. So over the last couple of years there's been
kind of a small core group that put it together and it's it's a daunting task
and so we are really our fortunate to have a lot of our community members and
business partners helping us this year. So we're really grateful for that. Part
of what I think is made this popular is one and certainly noteworthy how
exciting and fun it is and the fact that some of the things you just said
there, the you know looking to make it better and improvements and you know
just people just genuinely enjoying a good haunted house and the great work that
everybody does with that. But something also about this and you mentioned it
right there about volunteers and people donating items and not every haunted
house can you go through and have that feel. There is the you know local plenty of
local great haunted houses and everything. This one really has a local feel to it.
It really does have the fingerprints of the community on it and I think that's
part of what pulls people to it as well. You have to have both you know if it was
one of the things that I think that is exciting about this is that part though
that you can not only be involved in this and have something maybe an item maybe
you're volunteering. But then of course enjoy the haunted house itself. It's a
really unique opportunity for the community and for people. So we want to
remind everybody that we are looking for a certain item still. Yep. Yep. We're
looking for not only volunteers but so just to give you an idea of volunteers
and this isn't a number of people but it's a number of spots. We're actually
going to start. We're going to have the whole week prior to to be able to
set up and so we actually have like 400 and some slots for volunteer
opportunities and we have about 250 filled. So we have you know there's
certainly some needs for prior to the event with setup if people want to take
a section and help with just setting up a section. They can do that and then
also of course during the days of the haunted house and then also the tear
down the file you know after the haunted house is over. So there's a lot of
different opportunities for people to get involved in whatever way works for
them. So if people are interested they should reach out to us. We are also
looking for a couple of items if people are interested in offering those to
support the haunted house. Of course we're looking for candy so we can give
those out give that out to the kids. We go through a lot of AA batteries so those
would be helpful. Black duct tape. We're looking for 20 by 12 tarps, command hooks
and then also 11 inch black zip ties. So if anybody has any interest in helping
to support with some of those items that would be great. Again just reach out to
us. We will have some of this on our Facebook page as well. But yeah so there's
lots of ways to get involved and to help support and then of course we're
hoping the community is gonna come out and go through the haunted house. I
appreciate the details and the look behind the curtain with that a little bit
because I think not only does that bring people's attention and bring them to
want to have volunteer and help but the descriptions you give and everything we've
got a community filled with people that love to work with their hands and just
as much love to see what they've done afterwards and everything. I've worked in a
lot of construction, a lot of different construction companies in this
community and I know a lot of different individuals out there that are just
fit this bill. We're calling on all of you all hands on deck. Not only will you
be able to help out one of our great local nonprofits that does such great
impact in this community but you're a part of something that's really fun. Not
everybody gets to work on a haunted house. Not everybody gets to see how the
sausage is made kind of and all that. I think there's something very exciting and
fun about that. Just you talking about it got me all intrigued and everything. I
know I am mentioning this to my father who is retired and loves to work with
his hands. I don't think he's ever worked on a haunted house. I might have Jim
Mailov come by there because you know he's one of those guys who just loves a new
challenge or something new to work on and everything especially at his age and to
all of you out there that are whether you're retired or you just got a couple
hours free here and there. Keep that in mind as well. The ODC it wants to work
with you on your schedule to be able to make this fit for everybody. Yeah and what
I will say is so many companies are going to VTO volunteer time off and so we
really have gotten several businesses that have offered employees to come
during their work day to get paid as a volunteer time off opportunity. So if you
work for a company that offers that and you're interested again please reach
out or connect with your company and see if it would be an opportunity. It's a
really strong point. The other thing I would mention is I don't consider myself
to be creative but the team that's working on this is very creative and what I've
told them is you give me the supplies you give me the vision I can use my hands
and put it together but don't ask me to come up with with the theme or what
it's going to look like. So our team is really great on if you don't feel like
you're that creative but you're good with you know following instructions and
have that everything that you need and just setting it up that's what I'm doing.
So there's something for everybody. Really is. Is there a cutoff time and for
volunteering in that as far as when we're we'll stop looking for people or
anything? No not really there there there will be a link out of it there's a
link out there available for people to sign up but we're going to start
signing up or setting up I'm sorry on October 13th so we'll be you know looking
we're looking for volunteers all the way through the 13th and then you know for
a few days after the event so there's lots of opportunities and different
time slots and some of them are two hours some of them are four hours so you
know if you can only come one day for a couple hours that's fine so there's
lots of opportunities to get involved in lots of different ways. The ODC's
haunted house is coming up October 17th and 18th 6 to 9 30 at that Friday and
Saturday it is going to be a hauntingly good time we want you to be a part of
it and certainly again reach out to Anna the team if you can volunteer or you
have any of those items she was looking for we'll be bringing this on our
morning show and promoting both those things along with the event itself and
try to get you guys so a lot more volunteers. Yeah that'd be great and I just
want to also mention a reminder that it's a free event to the community as
well and then we do recognize that you know some people don't like the scary
stuff but they like fun haunted you know a little bit more fun Halloween
activities and so we do we'll have the haunted section but then we're also
going to have a Pirates Cove which is the kids section and so in again wheelchair
accessible family friendly so you know just really a great opportunity and
we've we've changed it up we know that you know in the past sometimes waiting in
line has been a little bit lengthy and so we're hoping to really keep things
moving and and you know kind of do a better job this year. Well we appreciate
the job that you do period you know I do a great job every time in this
community you know you're in line be patient you know that keep this in mind if
you're waiting in line that tells you that there's something good at the end of
it there's not lines for people that are for things that aren't fun and great
and everything so you know be patient be understanding and of course have a
good time and we'll meet you there it's gonna be a blast we'll be talking more
about this. Yeah and we're gonna have food trucks on site so be aware of that
and then we'll have some fun activities going on outside you know usually we
have some sidewalk chalk we have some bubbles and you know some ways to kind of
keep people engaged and and having some fun while they're waiting to get into
the haunted house. Love the Pirates Cove idea too that's fantastic it's a
really it just again shows how much you guys are paying attention you care
about the community trying to make something for everybody and it's all the
more reason why we love to back the work that you guys do over there any
chance we get it's gonna be fun we'll be leading talking about it as we
lead into it. I got another fun event coming up and I wanted to talk with you
and Ashley about the Susical Musical this is a sensory friendly event coming up
on October 11th and you know what Ashley could you tell us a little bit about
this event and what's going to be going on with it. Well yeah it's definitely
it's gonna be truly accessible because we're gonna have it'll be sensory
friendly that there'll be dim lighting and and no confetti canons loud sounds
or flashing lights but it'll also be accessible in all the different ways
because there'll be a live American sign language interpreter and closed
captioning for those who are deaf and hard of hearing and there'll be
accessible seating and enlarged programs for people with low vision there'll
be a quiet space for people that need to take a break and also there'll be like
one hour prior to both of the Saturday shows there'll be a sensory area
and a sensory tour where you can feel different items that will be in the show
like props costumes and you can meet the cast beforehand and there'll be
like sensory bags that people can take home with them with you know fidget toys
and the choice board and ear plugs for sound sensitivities and yeah that's
that you just nailed it you know great job Ashley the nice work appreciate that
thank you for that breakdown and certainly want to say a big shout out to our
ODC for hosting events like that's having events like this I don't mean to
put this on anybody else but you guys are the only ones doing things like
this really they're very necessary yes they are and at what I will say
those what I did want to mention is this is really a collaboration so this
really wasn't ODC's isn't ODC's event but we are we are part of the sensory
friendly portion of it and so we actually are partnering with the playhouse
theater group melody audiology actually is really the one that is spearheading
this to make it sensory friendly we're also partners with mid-state and
independent living choices and then also the community foundation of central
Wisconsin so really this is a true true partnership I also wanted to give a
shout out to frame Memorial Presbyterian Church at a Stevens Point they
actually give us a grant so that we can purchase all of these fidgets and
sensory friendly items to offer to offer this as an inclusive event for the
community and so we're really super excited about it there are a couple of
other they are offering the program also on October 9th and 10th at 7 p.m.
it's at the splash theater those are standard performances so if you have
you know some sensory needs or accessibility needs the the performances to
come to would be the October 11th at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. so at noon and at 6 p.m.
is when the sensory tours will start and it will offer all of the amazing
things that Ashley mentioned to make it completely accessible for the
community so we're super excited about being a part of it appreciate the
other organizations that are a part of this and and such a gigantic part of
this and and encourage people to learn more about them and the work that
they're doing have wanted to actually have them on with us at times and talk
with them a little bit more about it when I would appreciate about the ODC is
the above and beyond to be a part of things like this that we don't see a lot
of that in our community and not just our community around the country you
just don't see a lot of sensory events I think that not only do I am I
hopeful that we will see more of these but as we do more of them I think you
see the turnout in the amount of people that really could use these events
and enjoy them a lot more and I don't I don't think that I feel like it's one
of the more universal things I could say all kids deserve to have fun you know
and that's really a big part of what this is about is making this
success making these events accessible for all kids right well and not even
kids yes you know everybody you know again if you have a sensory issue or
your heart of hearing or you know have low vision I mean this is going to
accomplish that for anybody that has has a need to have something a bit more
accessible and so we are super excited to be a part of it and what is the
date for the sensory event of the surgical musical again it'll be October
11th at 1 and 7 pm and you can come an hour early both days at noon and 6
pm to take the sensory tour thank you so much Ashley great job and got
you got a great voice she's really good at this thank you Ashley please don't
take my job please I need this job actually great work thank you very much
for joining us and thank you for the information we appreciate it and I
did want to talk a little bit about the youth transition conference that is
coming up in November this is an important one to one that you guys are going to
be a part of along with our friends over at mid-state yeah so also wanted to
just share we do have a youth transition conference coming up and it's really
meant for juniors and seniors kind of across central Wisconsin it's going to be
held on November 7th at the mid-state campus here in Wisconsin rapids from 9 am to
2 pm and it's really about supporting students with disabilities in
understanding all aspects of transitioning from high school to adulthood and
so there'll be lots of different speakers talking about employment or resources
that are available or post-secondary education that's available in the services
that are provided and so we haven't done one of these since 2019 because then
COVID hit and then things kind of felt you know we weren't getting together at
that time and so it's taken us a few years to resurrect this but when we did it in
2019 we had over 350 students from schools around the area locally and so we're
really working hard on putting this event together and so again it's been
really a local initiative from lots of different organizations that are
supporting it and we're you know also if you have a business that would want
to have a booth at at the at our youth transition conference where there is
that we have a link out there if people are interested if they would have
services that they might want to be able to share with students with
disabilities and it's we're really looking forward to we're going to have a
great keynote speaker and so he does a magic show so it's gonna I think it's
gonna be great and then also we have lots of breakout sessions so Ashley's
gonna do a session on how to tell your story and tell it you know and in a
positive manner and how do you share your story about about yourself so
wonderful yeah so it's gonna be real exciting and we're looking forward to
getting that off the ground again this year so bringing an event like this
back is is welcome and certainly very cool and cool to see encouraging to see
was it something that you as a staff kind of saw an opening and wanted to
bring back or something you were hearing from the community or just you know
a little bit of a combination of that so I would say you know we have a staff
member that her whole her whole role is around transition services for
students and so she really was passionate about bringing this this event back to
life and so she really worked with mid-state who was willing to partner with us
again it's just it's been a great it's a great opportunity the fee for students
to attend is five dollars because other organizations have stepped up and are
willing to pay for you know kind of all of the fees we got a great sponsor from
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield who is really covering the majority of the
costs associated with the event so we're really fortunate to be able to have
this locally and have it really accessible and cost effective for people to
attend so a big thank you to them for that that goes a long way especially when
it comes to you know the people that are going to be attending this and
everything that that's very impressive very helpful when it comes to that why
ask the other what I did before is you you all over at the ODC are so good at
seeing gray areas and things that aren't being a you know worked on or needed
or you know in that and when it comes to something like this as soon as you
described it I was like oh there is a there's something that we could definitely
be used the we do we do this a lot in the acting community actually an old
friend of mine we created a class for people when they graduated from second
city and where to go after that how do you find an agent what kind of monologues
do you do all these different things there's no playbook for any of that and
we thought it was kind of crazy and this is a very similar story to me where it's
it is a little bit of hey you learn to fly now go fly right and that's great for
of many individuals but I think that many many and not just the clients at ODC but
many individuals out there would be benefited by something like this and and
it really appreciates something like this in the community that gives these kids
an opportunity to really not just get on their feet but to succeed absolutely
absolutely there's one other part of this too among the many great things that
you bring up that is is brought up from the website I'm pulling from and again
you can that website you can bookmark right now odciinc.com and the role models
part of this and the how how impactful that can be the moment mentorship and
some of that and everything that is able to be given to younger people and those
that you know you and I that's specifically you and the team over there you
guys are incredible you're in great of what you do and and so appreciative but
when you have somebody individuals like Ashley or others that are really able to
speak to things that we just don't know we just don't we can't understand we
can't know better than they do right that goes so much farther than we could
put in the words yep absolutely and we know this from our own lives of talking to
people that know what it's like to relate to us because they've been through
something similar or what have you that that is a just even if that was the
only part of this event I'd be talking just as highly of it because that's a
key part of this I think a beautiful part of it yeah and that really is like a
many of the speakers that we have our folks with disabilities and you're right
like we've learned over the years that who better to learn from than our peers
that I mean like you said you and I people without disabilities are no different
we learn from if we have a question we go to somebody that's had that same
experience and so people with disabilities have that same opportunity now and
they want to hear from you know their peers and how they they manage things so
we're really excited about it and looking forward to it so there's so many the
things that are going on with this that you described to that are again I don't
know that there's a playbook for I don't know that you can just go out and say
oh just look at this source and it'll tell you how to do this or something I
think that this is also really key for that along with the thing that I love
about all kinds of events like these those organic questions those ones that
maybe you're not sitting there thinking about all the time or you threw into a
search engine and it popped up the stuff that just happens in the moment you
think of or that you're thinking about on the way there or something like that
the ability to be able to talk face-to-face with somebody and ask those
questions and there's a lot of great tech out there that I can answer a lot of
questions but not like that not like that in-person conversation you can have
that is available at an event like this yeah absolutely if people would like
to be a part of it can they still be a part of it yes what they can do is go
to our odc facebook page and under our events we do have the youth transition
conference listed there as well so check it out for more information and the
dates of this great event yeah that is coming up on November 7th from
9 to 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the mid-state campus here in Wisconsin Rapids we'll be
talking about it making sure that everybody knows and we'll be getting a good
turnout for that one as well and if you wouldn't mind just one more time since
we got a minute here I would love to go run through those items we're looking
for for the haunted house one more time yeah just to remind everybody one more
time really bring it home sure sounds great so we could use some candy
double a batteries black duct tape 12 by 20 tarps command hooks and 11 inch
black zip ties thank you and appreciate that and again we'll be talking about all
of these events on our morning shows and other shows promoting talking about it
making sure that you get a good turn we get a good turnout and we can have
some fun with this what cannot we for that haunted house it's gonna be great
it's gonna be so much fun Ashley and thank you so much for joining us today a
lot of fun of course thank you so much and thank you everybody oh and I cut you
off as I'm sorry I think I did that twice to you today but thank you for
joining us and appreciate and appreciate all of you joining us for another
edition of WFHR's Rapids Report
