While some children go door to door collecting tasty treats, others go door to door collecting loose change for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). UNICEF is an association dedicated to saving the lives of impoverished children around the world by providing them with clean water, food and shelter.
Key Club, a student community service organization, is once again joining forces with UNICEF; holding their annual fall collection during the Halloween season. UNICEF is an important organization for Key Club as money is collected by the club every year and donated. Megan Buck, senior and member of Key Club since 9th grade, was introduced to UNICEF through Key Club.
“We are given little orange boxes to collect change” said Buck.” An easy way to collect a bunch of money is to ask all of your friends and classmates, and if you have any spare change at home, throw it in the orange box! It adds up fast!”
Every cent counts when it comes to saving the life of a child. Buck collected $8 in change last year for UNICEF. If every student at Cedar Park High School were to collect, at the very least, $5, nearly $10,000 could be gathered and donated.
Another Halloween-themed charity is Trunk-or-Treat, an organized trick-or-treating event that charges canned food for admission that is collected for a local food pantry. Games are played and candy is collected; through this fun activity, the entire community is enriched and helped. Fun is not limited to the children who participate in the event. The students who facilitate the activities join in the revelry as well.
“I loved it!” Lyndsey Teets, junior, said “I enjoyed it probably as much as the kids did. I’m doing it again this year and I can’t wait! It is so much fun!”
Teets was introduced to Trunk-or-Treat through the Invisible Children club, which is a club that raises money for war torn areas in Uganda. The club also spreads awareness about the problems underprivileged children in other countries are facing and any money collected by the club goes to building schools for those children. Invisible Children and Key Club are not the only student organizations to help. Student volunteers from the National Honor Society also lend a hand decorated cars and setting up games. Trunk-or-Treat allows the entire student body to get involved in the community and create some unforgettable Halloween memories.
Trunk-or-Treat will be held in the student parking lot October 24. All are welcome to come and support the community with donations of canned goods, time and Halloween fun.