The Haunting of H & M Potter School

"The whole neighborhood abounds with local tales, haunted spots and twilight superstitions..." - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by Washington Irving

Enter if you dare.

The first floor of the will be transformed tonight into a hall of terrors during the school's second annual "Zombie Apocalypse."

More than 100 staff, students, parents, families and alumni are pitching in to scare the beejeezus out of any visitors who pay the $5 admission fee. The event is a fund-raiser for the H & M Potter School Parent Teacher Association, said Principal Jeffrey Zito.

"The entire downstairs of the school is turned into a haunted house," he said. "We are hoping for this to be a great fund-raiser."

Visitors will first encounter a taped bogus video featuring Channel 21's Tony Caputo, reporting on the apparent contamination of the school's drinking water, said Zito, who is playing a Haz-Mat team member.

From there, they will enter the haunted house, where there are "suspects on every corner," Zito said.

The tour lasts between 15 to 20 minutes and includes other less frightening activities such as bobbing for doughnuts on a string and outside displays on the school's front lawn on Veeder Lane.

"I have 100 percent of my staff volunteering," Zito said. "It's amazing."

A number of township families have paid $10 each to rent 10-foot by 10-foot plots on the school's front lawn for their displays, Zito said.

The haunted house tours will run from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.

The school is also holding a Fall Festival on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for younger children who might be too frightened by the haunted house tours, Zito said.

Proceeds from the fund-raiser will go towards purchasing Ipads for the school's students.

Berkeley Township's Trick or Treat night is slated for Oct. 30. The Toms River Halloween Parade is on Oct. 31.