COLUMBIA − The Columbia Special Education PTA is partnering with Lighthouse Car Wash to hold a haunted car wash at their location on Rangeline Street. 

Dena Petrie, event organizer and secretary for the Columbia SEPTA says the idea for a haunted car wash came from her son. 

“My son is 12 years old, and he has autism, and one of his favorite things in the world is car washes,” Petrie said. 

An autism specialist her family works with sent them a video of a haunted car wash they had attended and Petrie had decided that it was “the coolest thing ever.” 

Wanting to support a local company, Petrie contacted Lighthouse Car Wash who quickly partnered with SEPTA and is donating 2 dollars from every carwash towards SEPTA. 

Funds from Saturday’s car wash will go towards SEPTA’s parties in a box which provide holiday party decorations for special needs teachers. 

“It’s basically anything you would need to provide a holiday party in a classroom, and we deliver them to all of the special needs classrooms so the special needs teachers don’t have to do the extra thinking,” Petrie said. 

SEPTA will also use some of the funds for mini grants for special needs teachers. 

The fundraiser begins at 4:30 pm and the firs two hours will be sensory friendly and beginning at 6:30 the event will be more of a traditional haunted house.