Shafter Ghost Tour thrills attendees

The Shafter Rotary Club held a spine-tingling Ghost Tour fundraiser on Sunday, captivating guests with local legends and eerie stories just in time for Halloween. The tour began at the historic Green Hotel, where guests boarded a glow-lit school bus that set the tone for the spooky journey ahead.

The bus took attendees on a chilling tour through the Shafter Cemetery and then to the former Dewitt Paradise Labor Camp, the infamous location where Rose Marie Riddle was abducted in 1961. The night concluded at the Shafter Depot and Museum, where guests enjoyed appetizers and drinks, with some having the unique pleasure of exploring the museum all to themselves.

"The stories we told were based on actual events and firsthand experiences of eyewitnesses," Blake Goehring, one of the principal tour guides and event organizer, said. "Jamie Kirschenmann told the story of the ghost of 7th Standard, while Nancy Goehring shared the tale of a 2006 murder at a cotton gin. Dan Urban recounted a haunting railroad story of a 1973 train wreck that tragically killed four young girls. These stories added an element of fright and left our guests on the edge of their seats."

Rotary Club President Lisa Marie Méndez explained, "Nobody knew what was going to happen. It was a secret, and we wanted it that way to surprise our guests. Blake, who spearheaded the event, has attended many ghost tours and thought it would be a great fundraiser for us, a community builder that would bring some fun back to Shafter. It was wonderful to see people smiling, enjoying the atmosphere and feeling the camaraderie of the event. Having the community involved and supporting our service group meant so much.

"We hope to build on this and turn it into an annual event. It really went off with a bang, and there are plenty more stories left to tell. I think the people of Shafter are eager to learn more. Thank you to all those who supported us. The funds we raised will aid our scholarship efforts and will stay right here in the community."