RACINE - Moving through creaky doors and along dark, unlit narrow hallways, Kassidy Klingbeil, Amanda Heinzelmann and Andrea Kovac were already on pins and needles Saturday night when suddenly dark, shadowy figures began to spring out from the walls.

The blood-curdling shrieks of the three 14-year-olds, all students at St. Lucy's School, let organizers and volunteers of the Racine Family YMCA's haunted house know that their seasonal freak show was hitting its mark.

The haunted house ran Friday and Saturday and will continue this coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the YMCA, 725 Lake Ave.

This year marks the third year for the event, a fundraiser for the Y's Strong Kids Foundation which provides YMCA programming for kids who would not normally be able to afford it. That programing includes swimming classes, after-school offerings and participation in the Youth Leadership Academy.

About 75 high school and junior high volunteers help put together the multilevel haunted house, which takes about 20 minutes to get through. Nette Marks, the Y's special events coordinator, said she puts out the call to drama and English teachers in Racine schools seeking the volunteers, who are transformed through makeup and costumes into zombies, ghouls and monsters. Others volunteers call Marks to help, including members of the Case and Horlick football teams and a fraternity from Carthage College, which will be on location next week.

Marks said she starts working on the haunted house in mid-August of each year, immediately after finishing her oversight of the corporate cup competition among local businesses. Set up of the props takes about six weeks to transform the YMCA service corridors, laundry facilities and other rooms into a cemetery, dismemberment room and torture area.

"I'm always looking for costumes and props," Marks said. "Goodwill is one of our sponsors and I love going over there," she said.

The well worn, 40-year-old-plus multistory YMCA lends "the perfect setting" for the haunted house, Marks said. Attendees are shuttled between floors by a rickety freight elevator.

Marks said that the volunteer participants really enjoy getting into character and scaring their guests.

"We want them (the visitors) to be scared and want them to cry and then go out laughing at themselves," Marks said.

However, she said that for younger and more squeamish visitors, the scare tactics can be toned down. Haunted House visitors are grouped and guided into the corridors so that young children don't have to go through with teenagers if they or their parents prefer.

But 7-year-old Savannah Lee Santos didn't want any special treatment. She was happy to tag along with her mom as part of the first group through the haunted house Saturday, a group that included the shrieking 14-year-olds.

"It was really good. I'm really glad I went," said Savannah, who did jump a few times during her walk-through, but also giggled at some of her costumed pursuers.

If You Go

WHAT: Haunted House.

WHERE: Racine Family YMCA, 725 Lake Ave.

WHEN: 6-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

COST: $6 at the door, $5 in advance at Educators Credit Union and Pick 'n Save stores.