News: Blood drive coming to The Great Escape

Posted at 6:38 PM EDT (2238 GMT)

Sep. 23rd, 2004 -- LAKE GEORGE, N.Y., September 23, 2004 – Count Dracula and Nurse Hatchet will welcome visitors to The Great Escape on Tuesday, October 5, as the blood thirsty pair presides over the first-ever Fright Fest blood drive. However, this frightfully delightful event is designed for a very serious purpose -- to benefit the victims of several recent natural disasters, including the hurricanes in the Southeast.

“The blood supply is being severely depleted as a result of the hurricanes in Florida and Alabama,” said Eileen Reardon, executive director of the American Red Cross, Adirondack Saratoga Chapter. “There is now an urgent need to replenish that supply. What better way to do so than to make giving the gift of life a fun and memorable experience at The Great Escape.”

“Statistics show that every two minutes someone will need blood at one point during their lifetime and that for every pint of blood donated, three lives can be saved, said Jennifer Mance, director of marketing at The Great Escape. “Our goal is to generate up to 75 units at our Fright Fest blood drive, which could help save as many as 225 lives.”

The Great Escape is currently taking reservations for up to 75 people to donate blood. Each donor will receive one free ticket to Fright Fest 2004, plus will have the opportunity to meet Count Dracula and several of his ghoulish associates. Those wishing to donate must call (518) 792-6545. The “dead”-line is October 1. The blood drive will be held in the Bavarian Palace from 1 – 7 p.m. Donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh 110 pounds and be in good health.

The inaugural “blood letting” will occur at the beginning of Fright Fest as The Great Escape transforms itself into a “spook-tacular” themed park each weekend in October, beginning October 2 and 3 (the park will be open for the blood drive only on Tuesday, October 5).

(The Great Escape will also be open for Fright Fest on Monday, October 11 – Columbus Day – from noon to 8 p.m.)

Now in its sixth season, Fright Fest will feature an array of Halloween-themed events and activities at one of the nation’s most historic theme parks, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

The annual October extravaganza includes the area’s most extensive haunted house, a 15-room “monster-osity”, aptly named Skull Manor. Renowned for its unrivaled level of intensity and sheer fright, Skull Manor features a library that includes up to 40 spooked stuffed cats, adjacent to a snake room with more than 100 reptiles.

Fright Fest 2004 will also offer several new events.

On Saturday, October 16, the Tap to Toe Dance Team from Massena, N.Y., is scheduled to perform Halloween-themed dance routines in the park’s Red & White Dome. Show times are at 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. In addition, the day’s activities will include story time, slime making, face paintings and a free balloon giveaway, sponsored by B95-FM.

On Sunday, October 17, the Radio Disney Fun Factory will present three live shows at 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. The afternoon will include interactive games and activities for children and adults.

On October 23, the park will host a “Hunt for the Gold” contest, sponsored by 100.3 The Point. Each contestant that registers for the day's event will be eligible to win 50 Grams of gold as part of The Great Escape's ongoing 50th Anniversary Celebration. The contest will take place from 1 – 4 p.m.

Fright Fest will feature plenty of activities for youngsters including the Trick-or-Treat Trail at the base of Ghost Town every weekend from 2 - 6 p.m. (open to children 12 and under), plus costume contests every weekend inside the Red Garter Saloon beginning at 3 p.m.

Half price tickets to Fright Fest ($17, plus tax) are available at Price Chopper supermarkets. The Great Escape will donate a portion of the proceeds from each ticket sold to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The Great Escape is open for Fright Fest 2004 from noon – 10 p.m. on Saturdays, and noon – 8 p.m. on Sundays. The park is also open on Monday, October 11 (Columbus Day) from noon – 8 p.m.

No masks are allowed inside the park.

Six Flags, Inc. is the world’s largest regional theme park company. Through its subsidiaries, it owns and operates a total of 31 parks in North America and Europe. Six Flags parks serve 34 of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the United States. Six Flags, Inc. is a publicly held corporation with corporate offices in New York City and Oklahoma City. The Company’s stock trades on the NYSE under the symbol: PKS. .