Christmas

How do you end year 2 of COVID? With a jail break, of course! 

The Cane Bay Christmas Crew grew 2 sizes that day....errr...I mean....the crew grew by two. Rudolph and Bumble joined in the shenanigans this year and boy-o-boy the shenanigans did not disappoint. When we left off last time, the crew had been picked up by Berkeley County's own Corporal Whetstone and perp walked into the Sheriff's substation in Cane Bay. The crew was book for various charges including sleighing under the influence, smoking the mistletoe, getting elfed up, making margaritas out of Frosty (poor snowman didn't stand a chance). They pleaded their cases to Judge Grim, Bumble even tried to win Grim over, but alas Grim did not take pity on them, but he did take their loot.

The Crew tried their best to fit in while in jail (when in Rome, right?!), even making a music video, but they knew they needed to get out before the holidays and hatched an escape plan. Deputy Pittsinger saw right through their disguises and started to take them down one by one. G decided to make a run for it, but little did he know, his nemesis, Corporal Whetstone was hot on his tail. Let's just say Corporal Whetstone remains the champion!

Was the Candy Cane Battle their last stand?

As much fun as the guys are, they are equally as serious about helping those in need. In partnership with MBH Photography, The Crew hosted the 2nd Annual Family Photoshoot Fundraiser - two days of staged photos with the characters where all donations go to local families who are struggling to provide a Christmas for their kids. We had 84 families over the course of the two-day shoot and raised over $4,200. This year, we were able to provide Christmas for 24 children in 9 families.

Who knows what 2022 holds, but stay tuned to find out!

Cane Bay Christmas Crew

Cane Bay Living Magazine

December 2021 Issue

How the Villains Become the Heroes

The excitement, energy, and enthusiasm were still fresh in everyone’s memories. Whether you loved them, or hated them, searched for them, or hid from them, the Cane Bay Killers had cemented their place in Cane Bay lore. But this is not where their story ends.

In the year of COVID, aliens, murder hornets, and The Killers, what else could happen? Cane Bay needed the fun and laughter and the distraction to continue. As if it was almost willed into being, the Cane Bay Christmas Crew materialized - Whoville G, Krampus, Grumpy Elf, Sandy Claws & the Snowman.

This new crew of characters, following in the footsteps of the CB Killers, went out on the trails at night bringing holiday joy and some scares to kids of all ages. The characters along with their personal photographer held a holiday-themed photoshoot out and about in The Bay. With the help of Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) Corporals Whetstone, Haag, & Green, the crew was run down, pulled over, taken into custody, and perp-walked. Christmas was stolen, presents were exchanged with tricks, snowball fights ensued, candy cane swords were drawn, candy was taken from babies, kids were abducted, and the crew stole the cop car and went for a SWAT ride.

The reindeer games were fun but there was work to do. What makes these characters stand out from the previous is their overwhelming desire, not just to bring cheer, but to give back to the community. The crew had decided early on to raise money to help struggling families whose children may not otherwise have a Christmas.

The crew hosted a two-day staged set for a family photoshoot, hosted at the Meridian Amenities Center. 37 families came the first day, but once word spread, the following Sunday another 146 families from all over the county came to Cane Bay to share in the spirit of the season! The food trucks sold out (some more than once), the line was wrapped around the parking, and in their true character style, the crew made their entrance.

Between the two days, a total of 183 families came out to not only see and support the crew but also to make donations in return for family photos with the crew. In total, the crew crushed their goal of $5,000 and raised over $7,000 which included donations from house visits and holiday party appearances!!

Dozens of families were nominated and vetted. In the end, 41 children were chosen, and wish lists were collected. The crew and I went to work on our shopping lists. 9 shopping carts and every dollar spent later the crew loaded everything into the conference room at the BCSO’s substation at the Whitesville Fire Dept located here in Cane Bay. The room was packed full of bicycles, clothing, games, toys, and most importantly, hope. Hope for these families. Hope for the community. Hope for a better tomorrow. 

BCSO’s Corporal Whetstone, along with my husband, Mark, and I, spent a day distributing the necessities and gifts to the parents and family members of the children. The smiles, the grateful faces, and the sense of relief you could clearly see on their faces were more than worth every exhausting moment to ensure that all 183 families had their edited photos in a matter of days.

MBH Photography was the dedicated photographer for Granton Manor's 2021 haunt titled The Originals. In our work with GM, we also created the GM logo, the graphics for the banners and shirts, and in partnership with Creekwood Crafts, the individual character's signs (except Camp Crystal Lake). GM was open Halloween weekend with guided tours through the haunts dedicated to some of the classic horror movies: IT, The Exorcist, Halloween, Friday the 13th, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Frankenstein (for the littles). Thousands of people came out, some waiting over an hour to see this custom Halloween scare fest.

Granton Manor is a privately funded, and donation based back yard haunt located in Cane Bay Plantation in Summerville, SC. Each year a new theme is revealed to ensure your nightmares become reality on Halloween Weekend! 

The guys took a break from terrifying Cane Bay on October 23rd to visit the Berkley Animal Center. The animals stole the show! But that didn't stop the guys from abducting the Animal Control Officer and taking her truck, then taking over the office and taking out the head of the shelters medical team (aka fan-girl). Penny was peed on, Jason found a friend, and the animals proved you cannot judge a book by its cover. They accepted and loved on the guys.  

If you are looking to add a friend to your home, please stop by the Berkeley Animal Center.

If you want to help, you can donate, send items from their amazon wish list, or sign up to be a volunteer!

https://animalcenter.berkeleycountysc.gov/

Amazon:  http://a.co/4F2BEpO 

Cane Bay Killers 

Cane Bay Living Magazine

October 2021 Issue

Picture it, early October 2020, the world is stir-crazy from cabin fever thanks to COVID. Masks, hand sanitizer, social distancing, working from home, and remote learning became the new norm. One evening, just after sunset, on the quickly darkening trails of Cane Bay, someone quietly appears, someone in blue Dickie coveralls and a William Shatner mask, quietly maneuvering through the trees and underbrush while unsuspecting residents pass by. The Dancing Clown and Destroyer of Worlds jumps onto the back of a golf cart! Screams and scares ensue!  Every tale has an origin story, and this is the origin of the Cane Bay Killers.

In a year when people needed something to look forward to, 5 anonymous people came together to bring all the screams and all the scares to their community. A person posted on the community Facebook page that someone had dressed up as the classic horror film character, Michael Myers and that this character had scared the pants off the people passing by. As a professional photographer who loves all things horror and terrifying, my mind was racing with different ideas for a photo shoot. I decided to request a photo shoot with Mr. M and Mr. P. Thankfully they agreed! 

Myers and Penny, who had both singly terrified other former neighborhoods for years, had not known what to expect. Then the unexpected happened, the team grew! Team Cane Bay Killer was forged by Mike, Penny, Fred, Charles, & Jason. Using some classic scenes as inspiration, and borrowing different items for props, we all had fun at the photoshoot. The Cane Bay Killers continued to go randomly out at night throughout October and surprise people on the trails, in their neighborhoods, and at times (when invited) in their homes. You could hear the unmistakable theme music of Michael Myers roaring from the golf carts as the Killers made their rounds. The added screams and scared giggles were unusually happy sounds.

The Cane Bay Killers' reign of terror continues in 2021 with a new, bigger, and better photoshoot and new, bigger and better scares! You’ll never know when or where they are, but you will surely know when they’ve found you! They ALL float down here, so what ever you do don’t fall asleep!

The Cane Bay Killers can be found throughout October all over Cane Bay and at Granton Manor Haunt Halloween weekend!