When the Fort Collins Ghostbusters roll up to a community event, the flashing lights and wailing sirens of their converted Ectomobiles often come with a crowd of curious kids—and their equally excited parents—trailing behind.
“The car gets about 50 smiles to the gallon,” says Toby Swaford. “Part of the mission is to raise spirits and make people happy.”
Swaford is one of several Colorado-based Ghostbusters who have turned their everyday ride (in his case, a blue PT Cruiser) into a custom Ecto car inspired by the iconic ghost-fighting vehicle that originated in the original 1984 film. He is used to the double-takes and the questions that come with roaming Northern Colorado’s streets in full Ghostbuster gear, complete with the proton pack and beige jumpsuit.
Unlike Ray Stantz—Dan Aykroyd’s fictional character to whom Swaford bears a certain resemblance—the Fort Collins Ghostbusters aren’t expecting any run-ins with troublesome apparitions.
“We’re more about lifting spirits than busting ghosts,” Swaford says.
Cosplay for a cause
The Fort Collins crew is one branch of a wider nonprofit organization, Ghostbusters of Colorado United, with additional chapters in Loveland, Greeley and beyond, that has turned a cinema classic into an avenue for social good. What started as cosplay for many of the members has become a lighthearted way to give back to the community through toy drives, trunk-or-treats and fundraising for hospitalized children.
Alex Eggleston launched the Fort Collins chapter in 2013 after he and a friend created costumes for the Denver Pop Culture Con (now known as Fan Expo Denver) and realized that fan groups around the world were using their own getups to visit children’s hospitals and raise money.
“The rest is history,” says Mayette Eggleston, who built the chapter with Alex, her husband, and now serves as president of the statewide organization.
When they held their first toy drive around 2020, Mayette says they didn’t expect to collect much. In the end, they received about 200 children’s toys for Kenzi’s Causes, another Colorado-based nonprofit. Since then, the drive has become an annual event for the Ghostbusters.
As more charitable opportunities have arisen, the organization has embraced the refrain, “Ghostbusters Give Back,” and expanded its work into significant fundraising efforts. A partnership with the Starlight Children’s Foundation, a national nonprofit that supports hospitalized children and their families, resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in collective fundraising by Ghostbusters groups nationwide and $150,000 in matching funds by Sony Pictures.
Through Starlight, Ghostbusters of Colorado United has paid visits to Rocky Mountain Children’s Hospital in Denver, where they set up activities in the lobby, talk with patients about bravery and bring some cheer. Once, they were called into the emergency room to help calm a girl having a panic attack, Swaford says.
“We made slime, and she calmed down,” he says. “It was a good day at the office.”
A fleet of Ectomobiles.
Spreading joy
There are also little, everyday moments of joy every time the Ghostbusters make an appearance. Ches Bond of the High Plains Ghostbusters in Greeley has come to love his morning drives to work and seeing the reactions his Ectomobile elicits.
“You pull up at a light and see the person…they have that Monday morning face, and it’s usually a double-take,” he says.
“Their whole morning brightens because they saw a Ghostbuster,” Swaford chimes in.
Bond’s wife, Josie, who met him when she wandered through a Ghostbusters event, says those moments are what the organization is all about.
“This group brings out the best in you,” she says. “It’s all about the positivity.”
One reason the Ghostbusters have been so effective at spreading those instances of joy, Bond adds, is because they represent the “every man”—regular guys who came together for the greater good. There’s a certain magnetism that comes with that, attracting not only fans but opportunities to continue giving back.
“They’re not Arnold Schwarzenegger,” Bond says. “They’re basically regular scientists.”
That appeal is what has driven the group to grow. It includes about 60 members across the Colorado and Wyoming chapters as of their most recent Christmas party.
“We always say that anybody can be a Ghostbuster,” Mayette says.
Where to See the Ghostbusters
This fall brings two easy ways to see the crew and pitch in. On Oct. 25, the Ghostbusters will suit up for Halloween on the Promenade, a family-friendly costume event at The Promenade Shops at Centerra in Loveland. Then, from Nov. 1 through Dec. 12, they’ll gather gifts for Kenzi’s Causes. Fans who want to donate, book an appearance or just find out where an Ectomobile will turn up next can reach the group through its chapter Facebook pages or the national roster at whoyagonnacall.org.
