Trunk-or-Treat Returns Bringing Smiles and Candy to Neighborhood Kids

Maggie Chang, Staff Reporter|October 28, 2021

Dominion’s Latin Club gives out candy while trick-or-treaters decorate skulls.

Since 2018, the clubs of Dominion High School have united to organize Trunk-or-Treat, a community event for younger children and their families to trick-or-treat in the school parking lot while being entertained by spooky decorations and fun games. Different school organizations set up stands in the trunks of their cars and handed out candy to kids on October 27th from 5 to 7pm.

Last year, the celebration was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Undeterred by a year-long break, Trunk-or-Treat was back this year and better than ever with over 70 kids getting treats as they went around to the different trunks.

“There are some new clubs that have never done it before,” said Tom Chuba, organizer of the event. In counting people entering the parking lot, he said there were more kids coming this year than the last time Trunk-or-Treat was held in 2019. “I hope that each year grows,” Chuba said.

This optimism was present in the student volunteers as well. Miya Livingston, President of the French Honor Society, said the club was “really amping it up this year because [it] didn’t have a chance last year.”

Above all, Trunk-or-Treat, in its third time at Dominion, is about giving back to the community. Ella Gortowski, Co-President of the Jewish Student Union, said that the most meaningful part of the event was “making a difference in the kids’ lives.”

To Haley Ku, President of Junior Optimists International, it was “seeing all the Dominion students really get involved and work together to provide all this joy for children.”

French Club and French Honor Society member Jose Herrera said, “As kids, we were the ones getting candy. Now we’re the ones giving it out.”

“We’re all one community. We’re all just here to have a good time and celebrate Halloween,” said Lily Egenrieder, President of the So Positive Initiative chapter at Dominion. “We really want to make the kids feel important.” It was clear that all the other students involved agreed. From set-up to clean-up, volunteers were truly in the Halloween spirit, and determined to ensure the kids were as well.

“It’s a lot of fun for the [kids] to have more opportunities for Halloween-type activities other than just Halloween night and going trick-or-treating,” said Madame Woolley, mother of two kids at the event and teacher sponsor of the French Honor Society, French Club, and Muslim Student Association. “[It is] really nice to have a safe environment for them to wear their costumes, trick or treat, get more candy, and get to know high school students.”

The most important part of Trunk-or-Treat is “seeing the joy that it brings,” said Raahima Saddiqi, Co-President of the Muslim Student Association. She said that the event is a “much safer alternative because trick-or-treating is at night, [so] more kids are able to participate.”

“It’s nice to have a free event for the community to come and enjoy the holiday,” said Madame McDermott, teacher sponsor of the French Honor Society and French Club.