Ryan Fireprotection families step inside Fright Academy at The Children’s Museum

Submitted

Ryan Fireprotection brought 200 employees and family members together on Oct. 3 for a Fall Family event at Fright Academy, The Children’s Museum Guild’s annual Haunted House at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

Team members from the Noblesville and Indianapolis offices and their families took part, choosing between Friendly Hours and Frightening Hours.

Fright Academy is the Guild’s 62nd annual Haunted House and the museum’s largest annual fundraiser. The Guild is an all-volunteer organization of women, and its members design, build, and run the house themselves. Since the first Haunted House in 1964, it has welcomed more than 3.3 million visitors, and the Guild has donated more than $17 million to the museum.

The tradition is personal for the Ryan family. Chrissy Ryan, wife of CEO Dan Ryan, and Christen Ryan, wife of President Kevin Ryan, each gave six years to the Guild as volunteers.

Chrissy served from 2001 to 2007 and put her energy into fundraising. Every dollar the Guild raises supports the museum, including new exhibits, and she was proud to help make that possible. The Guild also became a big part of her social life, and she made some of her closest friends there. She welcomed all of her children during her six years of service, and she remembers the experience as a great one for her family and for the community.

Christen served from 2012 to 2018. She served as look chair, leading the creative side of the Haunted House, and she loved the work so much that she rejoined the committee afterward. Community outreach was one of her favorite parts, from bringing hands-on activities connected to museum exhibits into local classrooms to welcoming neighbors for a community night at the Haunted House. What she treasured most was the family connection her kids got to experience.

“Watching our team and their kids go through Fright Academy together was a great reminder of why we invest in family at Ryan Fireprotection,” Dan Ryan said. “Chrissy spent six years helping raise money for this museum, and we are proud to be part of that tradition now alongside our Ryan families.”

“Our kids could not wait until they were old enough to volunteer,” Kevin Ryan said. “Christen loved the creative side of the Haunted House and the chance to bring the museum out into the community. Sharing this tradition with the Ryan family was special for all of us.”

To learn more about The Children’s Museum Guild, visit childrensmuseum.org.

Learn more about Ryan Fireprotection at ryanfp.com.