From Thomaston Times:
Ladies of the Paranormal hunting ghosts at The Ritz
The threat of losing the historic Ritz Theater has garnered much
attention throughout town with several fundraisers already taking place
to raise money for a digital projector. However, it has also struck a
chord with many groups outside the Upson County lines who want to help
keep the landmark open. One of the most unique groups that has reached
out is the Pike County-based Ladies of the Paranormal, a small all women
paranormal investigation team. They have planned fund-raising events at
The Ritz,such as ghost hunting classes, a celebrity and public ghost
hunt, a paranormal team meet and greet and a 1920’s themed murder
mystery night, between now and October.
Ritz owner Malcolm Neal
didn’t exactly know what to think when he was first contacted by Cassie
Reagan of the Ladies of the Paranormal, but he was touched that others
were reaching out to help keep the theater open.
“The fact that
people have rallied around this so much, and not just in Thomaston, it
really means a lot,” said Neal. “I was a little apprehensive at first
about the Ladies of the Paranormal coming, but once I found out they are
a purely scientific based group and they use their equipment to
scientifically prove if anything is there, I was very pleased.”
Like
many couples throughout town, The Ritz Theater was the place that
Reagan’s husband took her on a date and it is very near and dear to her,
as well as to her family. It was those memories that drove her to want
to do her part to help out.
“I’ve always thought it was such a
beautiful old building,” said Reagan, “and it is just too important to
lose. Not just for me and my family, but to so many others in Thomaston
and surrounding counties.”
Due to its history and the age of the
building, Reagan and the rest of her crew have always wanted to do an
investigation there to see if it had any paranormal activity. As part of
their investigations, they film the event for their website and the one
from The Ritz will be available to view online in July. However, those
who come to the Ghost Hunting 101 Class on June 30 will get a sneak
peek.
“We went into the investigation blind, because we didn’t
want to find out too much that might hinder it,” said Reagan. “We also
were able to find some compelling evidence, which Malcolm seemed really
excited about.”
Neal stated that seeing their evidence was really
remarkable in an unexplainable sort of way; however he was very glad
that everything pointed to there only being friendly spirits in the
establishment. He also wanted to assure everyone that they are not doing
anything taboo with the ghost hunts that will be taking place at The
Ritz.
“These events are things that can be serious for those who
want it to be, but can also just be a fun event for others,” said Neal.
The
first event will be a Ghost Hunting 101 class on June 30 at the theater
from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. which will explain the pieces of the equipment and
how they use them. Tickets are $10 per person. This event also works
hand in hand with the Public Ghost Hunt on October 25 at The Ritz;
however it is not required to attend the class in order to go on the
hunt. The Public Ghost Hunt will give citizens the chance to go in small
groups with an actual investigator and use their equipment for a
hands-on learning experience. The same premise is used for the Celebrity
Ghost Hunt which will take place on September 28 and Reagan promises
there will be some big name horror movie actors on hand to take part in
the hunt. Twenty tickets will be available for the celebrity hunt and
will be auctioned on Ebay starting at $50 each in August.
The
biggest event of the series though will likely be the Murder Mystery
Night held at Phoenix Rising on August 11. The night will be a “who done
it” type of event set in a 1920’s speakeasy and patrons will have the
opportunity to take part as a character in the story or just sit back
and watch the mystery unfold. There will also be a costume contest,
silent auction and “paparazzi” taking pictures throughout the night.
Tickets for the event are $50 per person or $75 a couple and will be
available online later this summer.
Neal is very excited about all of the upcoming events and hopes that everyone in town will come out for several evenings of fun.
“I
think that it is good to bring in different groups so that we can do a
variety of activities, because not everyone likes to do the same
things,” said Neal, “and we have people from all walks of life who want
to help. We are very thankful that the Ladies of the Paranormal chose us
and think these events will be fun for all.”
The Ladies of the
Paranormal are looking for donations of any kind for the silent auction
and volunteers who would like to help with the events. If you are
interested in helping or would like more information about the events
view their website at
www.ladiesoftheparanormal.com or call Cassie Reagan at 404-576-6547 or email cassie@ladiesoftheparanormal.com.
