Trunk or treats: creative opportunities for children and trunks alike
CENTER TWP — Hundreds of children attended the fourth-annual trunk or treat at the Clearview Mall on Thursday evening, Oct. 16, hosted by the Butler County Child Advocacy Center.
Attending at least one trunk or treat has become a tradition for Sarah Sauers and her three children. Although the Center Township resident said she is not sure when events of this kind became such a staple, she said her first memory of trunk or treats is from 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic changed people’s Halloween plans on a large scale. Since then, her children have still enjoyed the seasonal event, in addition to trick or treating yearly on Oct. 31.
“I have three kids. They are so excited about coming and wearing their costumes,” said Sauers, who was manning a vehicle for Texas Roadhouse at the event Thursday.
The trunk or treat at the Clearview Mall was just one of many taking place in the weeks leading up to Halloween throughout Butler County. Other trunk or treats were planned in Jackson Township, Moniteau School District, Preston Park in Butler Township and the Rose E. Schneider Family YMCA in Cranberry Township.
Danielle Schmidt, executive director of the Butler County Child Advocacy Center, said the trunk or treats her organization plans began as a way to get people out to one location to connect with one another, as well as with community resources. The event started in the CAC parking lot, Schmidt said, and grew to the point where it needed a venue as big as the mall to accommodate the 1,000-plus children expected.
“We just wanted to do something safe for kids and have a fun way for the agencies to help out,” Schmidt said. “I think they are becoming more common.”
The line at the Clearview Mall Oct. 16 stretched down the sidewalk at the entrance all the way to the start of the parking lot, where a few dozen vehicles were waiting to provide children with candy and other treats. Many of the vehicles providing treats were from the agencies that aided in organizing the event, such as the Butler County Humane Society, VOICE, the Lighthouse Foundation and First United Methodist Church.
Many of the vehicles were also decorated to fit a theme and staffers also dressed in costume to fit the theme, like Sauers, who manned the Texas Roadhouse truck dressed in Wild West gear alongside a few other staff members.
“We picked a Western theme, we’re giving out peanuts and other snacks,” Sauers said.
Other vehicles at the mall were decked out in costumes of their own. Elizabeth Williamson, of Chicora, had her trunk decorated to look like “the derpy tiger” from the Netflix movie “KPop Demon Hunters,” a design she said looked good fashioned onto her car’s trunk. She said she has decorated her car for the CAC’s trunk or treat for the past few years.
“I use this as my chance to decorate,” Williamson said. “There are so many kids here.”
Staffers with Bethany Christian Services had their car decorated with a sea theme, which the women handing out the candy said was a fun way to spread the organization’s message.
“We made it to the theme of ‘Fishers of men,’” said Katie Donahey, with Bethany Christian Services. “We are trying to get people to volunteer after seeing us.”
The Rose E. Schneider Family YMCA had a trunk or treat Saturday afternoon, Oct. 18, which also brought hundreds of children to the parking lot to collect candy and treats from a few dozen trunks.
Michele Fischer was handing out candy there alongside her sister from a car trunk decorated with skeletons, spiders and ghost sheets. She said her sister invited her to help out this year at the YMCA’s trunk or treat.
“She has come here for it the past few years,” Fischer said.
Both trunk or treats were more than just opportunities for children to get candy — they were also fun events featuring music and games meant to engage the whole family.
As children went trunk to trunk at the mall Oct. 16, a DJ provided music and some trunks had little activities for children to take part in. The YMCA had bounce houses, a mini-train ride and food. Both events offered information on the organizing agencies and what they offer.
“It’s great to bring everyone together,” Schmidt said. “It’s really the perfect event for us.”
The early-Halloween aspect of the event was also a highlight for the children, some of whom said they were happy to have another chance to wear their costume during the season.
Angela and Jordan Conigliaro brought their three children to the YMCA’s event, even though they, too, had not been familiar with trunk or treats until just a few years ago. Even so, they said they were enjoying the event, as were their young ones.
“Since we had kids is when I started hearing about them,” Angela Conigliaro said of trunk or treats. “Growing up, we really only got to trick or treat on Halloween.”
Tannie Milligan, of Butler, said her three children were looking forward to the Clearview Mall’s trunk or treat since they had to leave early from it last year.
“We are going to enjoy it the whole time this time,” Milligan said.
