Safe trick-or-treat brings community together

On October 30, Viterbo’s Education Club hosted their annual “Safe Trick-or-Treat” event in the Assisi Courtyard. After modifying the event last year to dropping off candy to houses to help slow the spread of COVID-19, the return of an in-person “Safe Trick-or-Treat” was enthusiastically welcomed. The Education Club and other student volunteers began setting up at 9:00 a.m. for the event with child-friendly and slightly spooky Halloween decorations, thousands of pieces of candy, and dozens of “doors” that children could use for trick-or-treating. These “doors” were decorated pieces of cardboard with designs ranging from Sully from “Monsters Inc.” to the Minions from “Despicable Me,” along with many other famous Halloween themes. In addition to trick-or-treating, there were a few games available for children and their families to play, including a ring toss and a game in which players could choose a rubber duck from a kiddie pool to possibly win a prize.  

Just before noon, children and their families started to arrive in the Assisi Courtyard. Nearly all were in Halloween costumes, and some families had coordinating costumes. Superheroes, princesses, and insects such as ladybugs and butterflies were all very popular; however, a few dinosaurs and different types of birds were also present. Most of the children were elementary and early middle school age or younger, but there were also a few older youths present and in costume. The courtyard was decked out with Halloween decorations, and with candy in each volunteer’s bowl, the event was ready to begin. 

Viterbo volunteers, mostly in costume, stood next to the “doors” and greeted children as they walked up. The children then received candy from the large assortment available, then moved on to the next door, in the same format as standard trick-or-treating. When families had moved through all the doors available and had full buckets of candy for each participant, they moved over to the game tables to win prizes. There were a few trays of cookies provided for families to snack on, as well as plenty of water. Participants had the opportunity to color on Halloween-themed coloring sheets, and there were some donated matching Halloween T-shirts for families to take. 

The event wrapped up around 2:00 p.m., with the majority of candy gone and many happy families. Over 100 children showed up in costume, and there was a couple dozen volunteers in costume to interact with them.  

The intention behind “Safe Trick-or-Treat” is to provide a space for families to bring their children of all ages to trick-or-treat where they will be safe. It’s a daylight event, so it’s great for younger children who have an earlier bedtime, or whose parents might not want to bring them out to trick-or-treat in the evening. For slightly older youths, it’s a place where parents can keep a closer eye on them than they might be able to during traditional trick-or-treating on Halloween night. It’s also a way for Viterbo to connect with the surrounding community in a family-friendly event hosted on campus.