Feature: Vancouver millionaire builds haunted house to raise charity fund

Screams filled the cool October air in a big house in a suburban neighborhood of Vancouver in western Canada on Friday night at what has become one of the city's most popular haunted houses.

For seven years, the Myers family of North Vancouver has converted their house and yard into a spooky scene, welcoming thousands of visitors over two weeks every October. And visitors are encouraged to make a donation with every last dollar going to a local charity.

Now the Halloween cheer has now become one of Vancouver's largest private haunted houses.

The Myers have spent roughly 100,000 Canadian dollars (75,000 U.S. dollars) of their own money buying decorations and investing in all this blood and gore over the years. They welcome 7,000 visitors each year and have so far raised 75,000 Canadian dollars (56,000 dollars) for the Ronald McDonald House, which provides accommodation to families of sick kids who must travel to the city for treatment.

Danielle Myers, the homeowner, told Xinhua on the eve of Halloween that it had taken her two weeks to set up and she liked to make it each year different so that people will not get bored of it.

"So this year we did different tents with different themes, like a clown tent, a wolf tent, like a crazy asylum tent," Myers said.

The Myers family is well known in the community. Earlier this year, their grandfather donated 25 million Canadian dollars (18.7 million dollars) to the local hospital.

Their annual haunted house project does not only have a lot of fun, but is also another way for the Myers family to give back.

"We really believed in giving back to the society, and it started with just one animated doll and then it started to become like this, seven years later. The community loves it, and it is for a very good cause because we donate 100 percent to the Ronald McDonald House," she added.

Mariana Torres is a visitor and she said her friend told her about this haunted house and they came together for a Halloween fun.

"I was very excited to come here. Now, I'm also very scared. It has really lots of fun," Torres said. Endi