For the second year in a row, Penticton high school students stepped up in the spirit of Halloween to give back to the community.

A total of $5,600 was raised during the second annual Penticton Haunted House and Block Party on Oct. 25.

While more than 35 leadership students from Pen-Hi spooked attendees with their own haunted house, around 20 from Princess Margaret Secondary hosted family-friendly activities at the intersection of Padmore Avenue and Main Street. 

The event raised money for high school leadership classes and Penticton Youth Centre鈥檚 elevator project.

鈥淚 continue to be in awe of the students and their dedication," said Yuki Ihara, donor services manager at the Community Foundation of the South Okanagan Similkameen.

鈥淭heir passion and hard work brought this event to life for the community and highlighted the ongoing work at the Penticton Youth Centre. We鈥檙e incredibly grateful for our partnership with local schools, OneSky鈥檚 Foundry, and our sponsors and partners who made this event possible."

An estimated 1,000 people attended the Halloween event, the community foundation said.

Students were responsible for bringing their haunted house to life through decorating, promotion and acting.

The block party, meanwhile, featured a DJ, food truck, games and photo booth.

"My favourite part about teaching is seeing kids work hard and make themselves proud, and they definitely did that through this event," said Laura Savoie, leadership teacher at Princess Margaret Secondary. "It was really powerful to see their ideas come to life and to represent our school and their class in such a positive way on the community level."

The Penticton Youth Centre opened in 2019 and serves more than 1,000 youth annually. Located at the intersection of Main Street and Padmore Avenue, it is home to Foundry Penticton, Ministry of Children & Family Development鈥檚 Child & Youth Mental Health, YMCA, and ARC Programs.