The Baker High School Key Club will be “tricking” runners this weekend to “treat” ARISE at the Farm as part of the Running Dead 3K.

Student volunteers decked out in spooky costumes and makeup will haunt runners in three races Oct. 24 at Lysander Park. All proceeds go to the Key Club’s cause this year, ARISE at the Farm, which offers horseback riding and other activities to young people with disabilities.

Stacey Edwards, a Baker senior and co-president of the Key Club, said the club chose to raise money for ARISE at the Farm this year because its mission hits close to home.

“One of the teachers at the school had a child who was born with spina bifida, so we decided to make it more personal,” Edwards said.

Edwards added that the Key Club is also organizing a field trip to the farm, which is located in Chittenango, to see if Baker students with disabilities can benefit from the farm’s recreational activities.

Melanie Speach, Key Club co-president and a senior, said ARISE at the Farm helps young people with disabilities develop skills through therapeutic and adaptive horseback riding techniques. She said ARISE representatives showed the club a video about the farm’s 21-day program, which showed a young girl who developed her ability to sit up because of the riding program.

“After 21 days, you pick up on something and it becomes a skill,” Speach said.

“Once your brain memorizes the skill after 21 days, it can’t lose it,” Edwards said.

Speaking of brains, a handful of Baker football players will be portraying zombies at the race, which is divided into three sections based on runners’ age and preference for spookiness:

• Spooky Trail Run 1.5K: Recommended for kids 6 and older, this fun run/walk is “designed to thrill and stimulate young minds with age appropriate scenes and characters,” according to the race registration page. An adult may accompany a child runner on the Spooky Trail Run free of charge.
• Dare to Be Scared 3K: The attractions and distractions on this course are a little scarier, so Dare to Be Scared is recommended for runners 10 and older.
• Trail of Horror 3K: Recommended for runners 14 and older, the Trail of Horror is “a spine-chilling, heart-stopping run through a mostly wooded trail full of hair-raising, blood-curdling surprises.”

Student zombies and ghouls will chase — but not catch or grab — runners of the Dare to Be Scared and Trail of Horror courses.

Runners are welcome to wear costumes, but they’re not required to do so. There will be a costume contest, as well as prizes, food and fun for all ages.

“The girl that’s doing the face-painting [of the student volunteers] will be there to paint kids’ faces as well,” Edwards said.

Lilli Foote, an 11th-grader who handles public relations for the Key Club, said the Running Dead 3K will “bring the community together for a good cause.”

“Not only is it profiting students and children with disabilities, it’s run by students as well,” Edwards said.

The Running Dead takes place from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at Lysander Park, 8439 Smokey Hollow Road, Baldwinsville. To register, visit willowhwc.com, hover over the “Our Race Events” tab and click on “The Running Dead at Lysander Park.”

If you pre-register, the Spooky Trail Run costs $15, the Dare to Be Scared 3K costs $20 and the Trail of Horror 3K costs $25. When registering with the special code “student,” students can get $5 off the Spooky Trail Run and the Dare to be Scared 3K, or they can receive a $20 pass to Fright Nights at the Fair if they register for the Trail of Horror 3K.