OGDEN -- The undead horde marched through downtown Ogden demanding brains, but they really wanted to have fun and help the homeless.
The second annual Ogden Zombie Walk "went off without a hitch," said creator and leader Tyler Deamer, 33.
Organizers asked people who marched downtown as zombies to bring food and warm winter clothes for St. Anne's Center.
With about 500 attendees -- 200 more than last year -- Deamer estimates they collected about 1,000 pounds of food and 100 articles of clothing.
"This was really great. We had a ton of people, and everyone stayed in character," he said.
Dressed in a suit and with black bile oozing from his mouth, he and the other walking dead lurched and limped the ten-block loop through downtown Ogden that began and ended at Union Station.
He led the group with a groan and a menacing outstretched hand, pulling his son and niece in a plastic red wagon with the other.
A chorus of groaning, growling and laughter followed him.
A few dozen zombies behind him was the Mott family, covered in fake blood and tattered clothes.
Regan Mott, 47, said the walk, which they attended last year, is a lot of good fun. Andrew Mott, 12, agreed and added that he can do a really scary growl.
Plenty of people played their parts as zombies to scare folks who happened to be on the sidewalk.
One young zombie boy jumped out of the horde and hissed at Kathy Hargreaves, 65, who was standing just outside Rovali's on Historic 25th Street where she was going to have dinner. She laughed and commented with her friends and family at how interesting and impressive the spectacle was.
"They really do it up," she said.
The group was amazed and grossed out by four teenage zombies holding and eating "intestines."
Among them was Murray resident Lauren Perry, 18. She, her sister and two of their friends walked along with fake entrails in their hands and dangling from their mouths.
"Some little kids cried," said Gabby Rawlings, 18, a member of the group.
Perry added they were breaking everyone into Halloween early.
People also came dressed as humans armed with weapons to defend themselves against the zombies.
Trent Wilson, 19, suited up as a survivor of a nuclear apocalypse, accomplished his goal of finishing the walk untouched by the undead.
Others came as protesters, chanting and holding signs. While some condemned the zombies, others supported them with signs reading, "Let the dead making a living" and "Everyone deserves a second chance."
One couple held a sign to distinguish themselves from the hordes: "Occupy Zombieland: We are the non-zombie 1%."
Deamer had hopes the spectacle would take nonparticipants by surprise. He said the event was advertised through social media, fliers and word of mouth, but not so much to let all of Ogden know it was coming.
He also wanted to make sure that the event did not cause any problems for the city. He hired a group of Ghostbuster fans, who dress up like the characters and have several vehicles fitted to look like the Ectomobile from the movie, to keep the march in line. He also had friends and family act as the Zombie Clean-Up Crew to sweep and pick up after the horde.
The organizers also sold $10 tickets to a party at Union Station that participants could attend after the walk. The proceeds will be split evenly between the nonprofit Union Station Foundation and St. Anne's Center.
Deamer said about 100 tickets had been sold, bringing in $500 for the center.
Last year, the zombie walk raised about $1,500 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
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