It was time to get rid of all that junk in the trunk. By “junk,” the participants of Trunk or Treat actually meant candy. It was for the kids in Monroe and also to children in hospitals too.
Up ‘til Dawn, a St. Jude’s Children Hospital affiliate, hosted Trunk or Treat Thursday with the help of multiple student organizations and groups. After signing up, the organizations could decorate the trunk of one of their vehicles and give out candy. Members of Up ‘til Dawn were available to take donations for the children’s hospital too.
The event has become a one-stop shop for families with smaller children. The trick-or-treating experience still exists but the walk becomes shorter and the environment is more family friendly.
While Up ‘til Dawn’s Trunk or Treat can usually be seen as an appetizer for the actual day of walking the streets and ringing doorbells, this year it made an argument of being the main entrée. It even hosted its event on Halloween day which is the first time it has done so in several years.
One ULM student said Trunk or Treat was about being relatable and recognizable to the kids because according to him the day was about them.
“Our theme today is ‘The Cat in the Hat’ by Dr. Seuss. It’s kind of something relevant for the kids so they kind of know to come up and get some candy, get some laughs and jokes. We’re not scary,” said Joshua Morehead, a senior biology major.
Morehead was helping his group, Circle K International, with their trunk. While their theme was based off of a classic Dr. Seuss book, every other trunk had their own theme and costumes to go along with it.
Children and their parents wore all types of costumes. Dinosaurs, princesses, cartoon characters and animals were abundant. Some attendees had their dogs dress up. One costume from the pre-pharmacy organization made a lot of kids laugh.
Kami Chargois, a junior pre-pharmacy major, had many compliments on her costume. Sometimes, it might have frightened a few of the little ones.
“Some kids are scared of me because they’ve never seen anything so big, but some think it’s hilarious, so the smiles make me happy,” said Chargois who was dressed as a giant inflatable baby.
More than 30 different trunks were available for the children to pick candy from. When they were done going to all the trunks, they could go back for more as long as there was still some junk in the trunk.