TIGER TV CONTRIBUTOR
Businessman by day and fright master by night.
Lafayette’s Thomas Chance never seems to stop working. His day job is the CEO of C&C Technologies. In the dark hours he creates chills and thrills for the non-so-faint of heart.
What started as a small idea 10 years ago has turned into a pair of trucks in his driveway filled with Halloween activities.
This is not your typical haunted or scary Halloween ride either. It’s a family oriented ride with animations and different scenes for people to watch as they ride the attraction.
This year, Chance says he has added a laser room, a human testing room, an earthquake room and a dog room this year. He also developed part of the ride that simulates a freight train running over the participants and airplanes shooting at the riders.
Chance can not calculate the hours he has put into the attraction that is open to the public and is free.
“There have been times when we pull all nighters. Some nights till 1 or 2,” Chance said. “It takes its toll on you. I’m very fortunate to have a team of talented people that makes it work.”
Part of this team includes Samay Kohli, a mechanical engineering graduate student from Bilani, India.
“He’s doing an internship at the University of Louisiana with the Cajun Robotics Program,” Chance sad. “He’s over here for a few months and he’s really helping me a lot.”
Last year the attraction was open two nights prior to Halloween and Halloween night for three hours a night. About 650 people came including children, parents, grandparents and even some UL football players.
“It’s certainly an attraction that everybody can enjoy,” Chance said. “I think they enjoy it because there are a lot of people who come back year after year.”
This year the event will be open October 29 through 31 and will be open for four hours this year.
Even with the amount of visitors who come every year, Chance says his neighbors tolerate the crowds.
Chance needs no permits to operate the attraction because the event is free of charge for everyone.
