GREENFIELD – Hundreds of youngsters poured through the halls of Greenfield-Central High School Monday night to trick-or-treat for a good cause.
The annual Trick-or-Treat for Riley event collects freewill donations for Riley Children’s Hospital each year.
This year’s event took place from 5:30-7 p.m. Oct. 28, when families made their way through a sea of spooky and not-so-spooky displays set up by high school kids.
“I’ve never counted the number of people … but I’m sure we have a couple of hundred families come through here,” said math department chair and student council co-sponsor, Sarah McCall, who helped organize the event with her fellow sponsor, Courtney Majors.
“There is always a non-stop line of people out the door for the first hour,” said McCall.
Seventeen clubs and teams from the high school and junior high school participated this year, handing out candy to happy boys and girls.
Among the groups were the high school’s student council, National Honor Society, drama club, FFA, band and guard, Peer Pals, the wrestling team, cheerleaders and more.
Most groups dressed in costume to match their theme, which this year included an 80s drive-in, a gingerbread house, Toy Story and Hansel & Gretel, to name a few.
The event is a great way to give children in the community a safe place to Trick-or-Treat while raising money for Riley Children’s Hospital, said McCall.
“I know all of the students that participate in this event truly enjoy it. They love seeing all the children come in and have such a good time. It’s a fun night for all involved,” she said.
McCall said the students also appreciate the chance to raise money for children who may not be able to Trick-or-Treat this year due to health issues.
Plus, student council members get the chance to hone their organizational skills by planning such a well-attended event.
“I would guess that there were nearly 350 bags of candy handed out … It’s hard to estimate for sure, but each of the 17 groups brings their own stock pile, and many even send students out on candy runs throughout the night if they are running low,” said McCall.
