HalloweenFest Combines Spooks and Service for Local Kids in Need

Written by Catherine Young

Photos by Unsplash and Catherine Young

Marymount University provided local kids with a festive candy-filled Halloween experience with the return of its annual HalloweenFest. For the first time since 2019, more than 100 kids came to campus to participate in festivities that have a long tradition at Marymount.

The pandemic caused many restrictions to HalloweenFest in 2021. “HalloweenFest last year was fundamentally different because we did not have school aged children coming here to trick-or-treat,” said Susan Grunder, the director of the Office of Ministry and Spiritual Life. Her office hosted the event, supported by other campus organizations, sports teams, and students. “Instead, we had basically amounted to a fall festival for our students that included the opportunity to sort and pack candy, craft ideas, little games, Halloween appropriate treat bags for children living in nearby homeless shelters, and participating in after school activities. 

We delivered somewhere around 200 bags of candy to local programs.” In anticipation of this year’s event, Grunder worked with Aspire, an after-school program in Arlington, to invite the children to campus. Faculty, staff, and students pitched in to donate bags of candy. Some students signed up to volunteer at activity stations such as a pizza table and serve as tour guides during the event. Activities for kids included face painting, corn hole, cake walk, pumpkin decorating, and “pin the spider on the web.” Students escorted children around campus where they could trick-or-treat with staff, faculty, and students. Grunder said, “For our students, the goal is really for them to interact with these children who are coming on campus, to get an idea of the neighborhood around the university, to really have an opportunity for service.”

Susan Thomas, coordinator for the Saints’ Service Network, said, “I think one of the things that strategically, intrinsically, and intentionally we do with that pillar of service is to be an outward- facing campus.” In supporting an event like this, Thomas said her office helps “harness that student volunteer energy” that is behind a service opportunity such as HalloweenFest. She added, “As a Catholic institution and having a pillar of service, volunteering and engagement have always been in our classrooms, in our identity.” She highlighted some of the benefits to the kids, saying, “it is so important that kids get to see people in college and college campuses.” Both students and staff said they enjoyed volunteering at this event. 

Cathy Sledz, who has worked as administrative assistant in the Office of Ministry and Spiritual Life for the past five years, commented that the best parts about HalloweenFest are “the children: the joy, the fun, the laughter. The freedom they have.” Mairin Moriarty, a senior majoring in nursing, has previously attended and said she enjoyed acting as a tour guide during the trick-or-treating because the kids would not have that opportunity otherwise. Keep an eye out for HalloweenFest next year, because as Grunder said, “This is a Marymount tradition. And during the years of COVID we continued it in a small way, kinda kept the candle burning, but now it’s time to really light up a bonfire.”