Emily Progin, Content Manager
[email protected] / 800.642.8399
Release: Immediate
OCT 10: HALLOWEEN FUNDRAISER AT ENCHANTED CASTLE
Help Local Mom Go from Isolation to Empowerment
LOMBARD, Ill.—On Friday, October 10, families are invited to enjoy Halloween Night at Enchanted Castle with a sensory-friendly celebration full of fun and purpose. Funds raised will help Elizabeth “Beth” Carey, a local mom with autism and PTSD, to receive a medically trained service dog through the nonprofit Help Hope Live.
Halloween Fundraiser Details
When: Friday, October 10 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Enchanted Castle at 1103 South Main Street, Lombard, IL 60148
What: An inclusive, sensory-friendly family fun night in a relaxed atmosphere. Costumes are welcome (no weapons, please)! Suitable for all ages and disabilities with dimmed lights, reduced noise, and a quiet room for decompressing.
Cause: Funds raised benefit the nonprofit Help Hope Live in honor of Elizabeth Carey, an Oswego mom with autism fundraising for a medical alert service dog.
Cost: $35 includes pizza, water, $10 in gameplay, mini-golf, and more. Add a $40 arcade card and save $5!
Register: https://events.helphopelive.org/event/6665/signup/
Flyer: [attached]
Can’t Make It? Donate: https://helphopelive.org/campaign/25722/
Beth’s Story:
Living with autism and complex PTSD, Beth has faced periods of deep emotional struggle and isolation. However, Beth is living proof that hope, collaboration, and courage can light the way forward.
Beth is a mom and Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) and mental health advocate at NAMI DuPage, helping others on their healing journeys while working daily to improve her own health and wellness.
Now, she’s taking the next step by investing in a new source of safety and independence: a medically trained service dog. This companion will be trained to detect and interrupt flashbacks, carry emergency medication, and provide deep pressure therapy—giving Beth the tools to navigate everyday life with greater ease, independence, and confidence.
While her provider has approved this life-changing support, the over 1,000 hours of specialized training for the service dog is not covered by insurance. That’s why Beth’s community has partnered with the trusted national nonprofit Help Hope Live to raise the $32,000 needed to bring this dream to life.
Donations can be made at: https://helphopelive.org/campaign/25722/
Halloween Night “isn’t just a fundraiser,” explained event organizer team member Adam Carey. “It’s a celebration of inclusion. We want every family, regardless of sensory needs, to enjoy Halloween and support a great cause.”
Online donations and events like Halloween Night will help bring hope to life. In June 2025, a new litter of service dogs began training through S.I.T. Service Dogs, a respected provider of medical alert and psychiatric service animals. With a little help from her community, one of these custom-trained companions will soon become a trusted teammate and medical lifeline for Beth.
“Living with autism and PTSD can make daily life feel overwhelming,” explained Beth, “but this event—and the support of my community—brings me closer to feeling safe, confident, and independent. I’m so grateful for everyone making this possible.”
Donations to Help Hope Live are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law, and all funds raised will be administered by the nonprofit to cover verified medical and related expenses. Help Hope Live verifies medical and financial need for every patient.
Help Hope Live is a national nonprofit that specializes in engaging communities in secure, tax-deductible fundraising campaigns for people who need a transplant or are affected by a catastrophic injury or illness. Since 1983, campaigns organized by Help Hope Live have raised over $188 million to pay patient expenses. ###
