For years, teens from Green Spring, Springfield, Romney and Augusta have spent their summers planning the pranks, skits, costumes, and haunted scenes for the annual Green Spring House of the Setting Sun’s haunted house through the Community Involvement for Kids organization.
That all came to an end the morning of June 27 when the house, built in the 1800s, burned to the ground when lightning struck and caused an electrical fire.
“The kids were away at Idlewild park and came back and the house was burned down that night,” said Bobbie Moore, mother of 16-year-old Donnie Moore, who helps prepare the haunted house each year.
Donnie, who is a member of the band Unheard Silence, came up with the idea to host a benefit concert to raise money to replace the house.
“He and their lead singer, Jonathan Miller, are planning to open the show with Andrew Mack, who is a  young man who is autistic and blind, but still has the incredible ability to play drums,” said Moore.
Moore said other teen bands will include  I Forget, the Presage, Scatter the Ashes, and Disaster on Impulse.
Two adult bands, Back Forty and Ten Fold, will showcase as well as many other groups from all genres of music.
Games, food, and various raffles of items donated by local merchants will also be given away during the concert.
In addition — to further assist in helping the House of the Setting Sun to “rise again’ — the teens collaborated on July 13 to tape a film of the house for submission to Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
The Community Involvement for Kids, Inc. is a non-profit, 100-percent volunteer organization that was established ten years ago by Saundra Stinnette to keep local teens off the streets and involved in their community.
The group provides a “sense of belonging and accomplishment to local youth” said vice president Elizabeth Malcom.
Malcolm said that the organization gives a $500 scholarship to each teen who gives 100 hours of time to planning the Halloween festivities.
In addition, regular teen outings are planned, charities are donated to, and the street lights in Green Spring are funded through the revenue raised from the haunted house and forest.
To help continue this organization’s great endeavor — a tradition for many in the Potomac Highlands — Malcolm is asking all readers to consider donating or helping in some capacity to bring back the House of the Setting Sun.
“Any contributions in the form of money for props or the loan payment for the property, or your time and elbow grease, or rebuilding supplies, would be greatly appreciated,” said Malcom. “We have to support our kids.”
Bands are still needed to perform at the benefit concert, as well as volunteers to assist in the operations, said Moore.
Interested groups and volunteers should call Moore at (304) 822-3045 or e-mail bigdaddy1392002@yahoo.com to schedule a time to perform.
For more information on donating to the reconstruction of the House of the Setting Sun, e-mail Malcom at   liznwv@frontiernet.net.