SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — Desolation Hotel and Maggie’s Restaurant and Bar are excited to host a fundraising drive and donation based event called the Halloween Spookytacular.

This family friendly festival will split all of it’s proceeds between the Wildland Firefighter Foundation and the El Dorado Community Foundation’s Caldor Fire Fund.

“We live and work in a beautiful community and area,” said Co-Founder of Desolation Hotel Eric Pipkin. “Our neighbors have been through so much. This is an opportunity to provide a fun Halloween event for our kids and families, while supporting two great causes.”

The children-focused event will bring together a variety of themed activities throughout the day, which includes raffles, trick or treating stations, a kid friendly rock climbing wall, face painting, tiny pumpkin decorating, temporary tattoos, carnival games, prizes and tasty food and drinks from Maggie’s. Costumes are optional, but encouraged.

Additionally, there will be a DJ spinning Halloween tracks, a haunted house, and other vendors who have offered their services for the event, including local restaurant Super Tacos.

“Sierra Sustainable Builders have been very generous in their support,” said Pipkin. “The city of South Lake Tahoe and Lake Tahoe Community College have been extremely helpful in trying to bring this to life quickly.”

Other sponsors include Untethered CoWork Space, Studioette, Wylder Hope Valley Resort and Sorenson’s.

In order to participate in the fun, participants must sign a waiver that they can download at desolationhotel.com, or it can be signed at the event. RSVP’s are encouraged on the website’s landing page, and will receive priority if capacity hits any constraints.

The event is free but donations are appreciated.

“But we’re asking every family that is in a position to donate $100, or whatever they can afford,” said Pipkin. “If they can’t afford anything, that’s okay too. No child will be turned away because of lack of donation.”

Desolation Hotel and Maggie’s has a goal to raise $100,000. The hotel and restaurant have set up matching contributions of $25,000-$50,000 for each organization, which means every contribution will be matched dollar for dollar.

“This provides a great opportunity for people who are in a position to help see their giving automatically doubled, up to a total of $50,000,” said Pipkin. “To date, we have received over 100 donations totaling over $22,000 – that’s $44,000 with the match. So we’re well on our way to achieving our goal of $100,000.”

Desolation Hotel is underwriting all costs of the event, so 100% of the donations go to the nonprofit organizations.

“Please get on the link and make a donation,” said Pipkin. “Share and post the links. Tell your friends. Watch the progress on the link. Donate at the event.”

For more information, or to volunteer and donate, visit desolationhotel.com.