Costume giveaway saves money, time
After searching the costume racks for almost a half hour, 10-year-old Kimberlynn Olinger found a hockey mask and scrubs stained with something that looks like blood, which made for the perfect “evil doctor” Halloween costume for her.
While this costume and the other three Tammy Davis needed for her four kids this season could cost more than a few tricks or treats at the store, they all found their fits at the Ghouls for Good giveaway Monday, Oct. 17, hosted annually by the Butler County Young Professionals.
The giveaway could not have come at a more apt time for Davis.
“Getting up on my feet, this is a big help for me,” said Davis, of Butler.
Ghouls for Good took place at the Butler Cubs Hall on McKean Street, where hundreds of costumes were ready for free checkout from local residents. The giveaway was scheduled to begin at 4 p.m., but there was already a line waiting by 3:30 p.m.
Kristen Kane, the event’s founder and a Halloween aficionado, said the event was probably the most popular in Ghouls for Good’s seven-year history, and for the first time, organizers needed to buy more costumes to restock the shelves.
“I don’t think we have ever had to restock, and we even had more costumes than we have ever had in the last seven years,” Kane said.
According to Young Professionals chairwoman Audrianna Bly, the event’s organizers recently distributed costume vouchers to families at community events, which they could redeem at one of the scheduled costume giveaways.
The organizers got around 500 to 600 costumes this year, which came from community donations, as well as sponsorships from companies like United Plate Glass Company and Armstrong, Bly said.
“We have a lot of accessories laid out (so) people can mix and match,” Bly said.
After seeing the initial rush, Kane expected that more than 150 people would redeem the vouchers on Monday alone. There is another giveaway scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 18.
Bly said popular costumes this year include superheroes, as always, and cats and kitten costumes have risen in popularity.
Ashlee Morrison, of Butler, got a dinosaur costume for her 1-year-old, Jay-Lee Owens, at the distribution. She said not only was the event a helpful money-saver, but it also saved time.
“I don’t have time to go shopping, and plus, costumes cost so much these days,” Morrison said. “It helps a lot.”
There is another Ghouls for Good giveaway where people can redeem costume vouchers from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, at the Butler Cubs Hall, 113 S. McKean St.
