“Support Our Troops Haunted House”

2003 was the year it all got started.  The Beyl’s eldest son, SSG Grant M. Beyl, parachuted into Northern Iraq with the 173^rd Airborne Division.  The Beyl family organized a small Haunted House and Chili Supper and asked each person attending to bring a non-perishable item that would be mailed in a care package to SSG Beyl’s squad.  That year over 40 large boxes were mailed to soldiers in Iraq. 

In 2004, the Beyl’s youngest son SGT Brandon C. Beyl was deployed with Delta Btry 216 ADA, MN National Guard, to Baghdad, Iraq.  Once again the haunted house was organized and supplies were collected, packed and sent to the soldiers.  The Beyl family and friends also accepted names of other soldiers in need of a care package.  No one was ever turned away.

In 2005 SSG Grant Beyl was once again deployed with the 173^rd Airborne to Afghanistan.  The Beyl family also honored the memory of local Farmington resident, SGT Joshua Dane Lund, who lost his life in an automobile accident in September of that year on the way to formation prior to his deployment to Iraq.  Josh was a classmate and friend of SGT. Brandon Beyl.

In 2006, the Beyl boys were not deployed, but the Beyl family and friends continued the tradition of the Haunted House and supported the 34^th Infantry Division, Minnesota National Guard, contributing to their “Supply The Future” program, collecting enough school supplies to send over 200 - 2 gallon zip lock backpacks, 30 backpacks, and misc. school supplies to the soldiers of the 34^th, to distribute to Iraqi school children.  This was the last year for the chili supper as the Beyl’s served over 300 bowls of chili that year.

2007 brought another deployment for the Beyl family, this time SGT Brandon Beyl was sent to Kosovo, as part of A Co, 2/135 INF, and SSG Grant Beyl’s unit, 173^rd Airborne was back in Afghanistan.   The group supported SGT Beyl’s squad, by mailing care packages to them while they were in Kosovo, sending school supplies and hats/mittens for a group of Kosovo school children, sent a memorial to the widow of a South Dakota soldier who was killed in small arms fire in Iraq in late September, and presented a check to the 173^rd Airborne Division Fallen Warriors memorial, Vicenza, Italy in honor of SSG Grant Beyl’s comrades who were killed in action in Afghanistan during the 2007-2008 deployment.  The group is also sponsored a US Marine who was serving in Iraq.  This was the first year they received matching funds from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.

2008 was the first year open to the public.  They once again received matching funds from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.  With funds collected from the 2008 Haunted House, the group was able to fly a soldier to California from Minnesota to spend Christmas with her children before being deployed to Iraq in March of 2009, helped sponsor the Mothers/Grandmothers Luncheon hosted by the Warrior to Citizen Group in Farmington, helped sponsor the May Warrior to Citizen Military Family Picnic at the Dakota County Fairgrounds, sponsored 10 soldiers currently deployed to Iraq, and assisted an FRG who soldiers are currently on a deployment with their Family Day Picnic in June of this year. 

We have received Congressional recognition from Congressman John Kline, The Star of the North Award, and a Department of Defense Certificate of Appreciation from the Commander of Southern European Task Force for our ongoing efforts to support the Soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

What started as a small gathering of family and friends to support the soldiers has grown to a gathering of over 1,000 people.  It has outgrown the farm.  The 2009 Support Our Troops Haunted House is scheduled for October 9th and 10th, from 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm at the Dakota County Fairgrounds, Farmington, Minnesota.                                     
          The group continues to accept names of soldiers who are in need of a care package or would like to receive cards/letters.  No one is ever turned away.  If you would like more information about the Haunted House, please contact Germaine Beyl, Support Our Troops Haunted House Coordinator at hqueen54@yahoo.com.  We are looking forward to another blessed event with friends, family & community.