On the evening of October 25, the Sergeants Major Academy (SGM-A) campus was filled with superheroes and monsters, ready to participate in this year’s trunk-or-treat festivities. Cars were lined up and decorated, volunteers were in costume with trunks filled with sweet treats for all the children who ventured down the rows.
According to History.com, the practice of trick-or-treating can be traced back centuries from ancient Celts, to early Roman Catholics and 17th-century British politics. Over time it has evolved and become one of the nation’s largest commercial holidays. It is estimated that American’s spend $3.1 billion on candy for Halloween.
In the 1990s, trunk-or-treating began when churches and organizations would host “Fall Festivals” instead of trick-or-treating because of the negativity sometimes associated with the Halloween holiday. It gave members of the community an opportunity to come together for a festive event that was still fun, but safer than traditional trick-or-treating.
The Sergeants Major Academy has hosted their trunk-or-treat since 2010, and it has only grown bigger and better. About 2,000 pounds of candy was collected and over 2,500 people came to the highly anticipated event. This year’s committee was led by Master Sgt. Jessica Smith, SGM-A Class 75 student, who volunteered to “share her passion and enthusiasm for the holiday with a new community.” Although Smith’s responsibilities as committee lead were stressful, she said, “I love seeing families enjoying time together. Having the community come out and do something collectively is amazing!”
The free event offered many fun and exciting activities as Master Sgt. Henry Uribe, SGM-A Class 75 student, played a frightening mix of all the Halloween hits. 53 trunks were decorated for children of all ages. Activities such as giant jenga, cornhole, putt putt golf and bounce houses were also set up for children to have a good time. A haunted hallway complete with jump scares and crazy clowns was available for those brave enough to enter. Participants got to walk down memory lane with their children as they were able to play Mario Kart in real life and walk down a Super Mario Bros. themed hall, where they interacted with Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach and the infamous Bowser.
This was the second year that Sgt. 1st Class James Larimer and his Family attended the SGM-A Trunk-or-Treat. After having a blast at last year’s event, they were looking forward to this one. Larimer and his wife, Amber, prefer these types of events over traditional trick-or-treating because they feel “it is a lot more organized and definitely safer. You can tell the folks put a lot of effort into the event; the space is smaller to decorate so people just go all out.” They were brave enough to enter the spooky hall and agreed as a Family that it was their favorite part of the night. They expressed their pleasure with the event overall saying, “we will be back next year with matching theme costumes, possibly from Stranger Things.”
Master Sgt. Paul MacGregor and Master Sgt. Franz Ravanes, SGM-A Class 75 students, both volunteered to decorate their trunks for the event. MacGregor and his Family took to the seas as they sailed their pirate ship, giving out treats instead of taking them. MacGregor conveyed the importance of making this a Family project with his wife and three kids ranging in age from 18 months to eight years old. “By the kids being involved in the decision process and working to create the decorations, it instills a sense of ownership and pride in their area. It also allows them to be on the giving end of things as they hand out candy in a fun and safe environment.” While MacGregor went for a Family friendly approach, Ravanes played on a fear that affects three to 15 percent of the population; arachnophobia, fear of spiders. The spiders' many eyes seemed to follow your every move, and the legs could have easily reached out and grabbed you. Ravanes could barely contain his joy as he explained, “the best part of the event is the feeling of camaraderie and excitement that fills the air. It is incredible to see everyone come together, and it feels great to be a part of something that brings smiles to so many faces!”
As the event came to a close, excited children bounced away with tons of energy and bags full of candy. Smith ended the night by giving next year’s committee a little advice saying, “it is never too early to start collecting candy, and if you are going to be on the committee, be sure to make the next Trunk-or-Treat the scariest yet most amazing thing ever!”
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