By Lauren Schiavone
Hometown Weekly Staff
With Halloween right around the corner, children are more than eager to celebrate. Knowing trick-or-treating is only a couple days away, kids are putting finishing touches on their costumes and building up seasonal energy as we head towards the 31st.
As the holiday falling on a Monday this year, though, and celebrations on the day itself are likely to be slightly muted, families are seeking outlets to release some of the seasonal energy. Enter the Walpole High School UNICEF Club, which held a Trunk or Treat event at the high school on Saturday, October 22. With one hundred percent of proceeds benefiting UNICEF — which provides humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide — everyone was happy to participate.
The event invited costumed children to trick-or-treat through a parking lot of open-trunked cars creatively decorated and staffed by costumed student volunteers. Volunteers also coordinated a number of games.
WHS faculty member Vanessa Hackett became the advisor of the UNICEF Club at the high school last year during the project’s conception. Through COVID, Trunk or Treat was originally held as a drive-through event.
“We expanded to now having games involved,” she explained. “Last year, kids waved their treat buckets out of cars. We couldn’t see their costumes. We made it work. Now, we’re able to do much more.”
In agreement, Rachel, student president of the UNICEF Club, was excited to spend the weekend working with the community. “We have people walk around, interact with people. We have games where kids get to win prizes. It’s a lot more involved,” she explained.
Children and families were more than happy to participate in Trunk or Treat, as were the student volunteers. The weather couldn’t have been better — and with funds raised for a worthy organization, the cause couldn’t have been better, either.
