With Halloween rapidly approaching and pumpkin season in full bloom, halloweeners are getting their costumes ready for the big night. Although most kids go around their neighborhood in search for candy, one Friends students seeks to make a change. Olivia O’Donnell ’18 is bringing WFS’s attention to UNICEF’s trick-or-treat campaign, where in addition to trick-or-treating for candy, you can bring an orange box with you and ask for donations to go directly to UNICEF. As O’Donnell explains, “This event is super cool because it is able to involve younger children, not just teenagers and adults, to raise money for those in need.”

    O’Donnell urges all trick-or-treaters to collect an orange box from her and help raise money for those without ample financial resources to have all of their basic needs met. O’Donnell mentioned, “All of the proceeds go to UNICEF for children affected by recent tragedies.” This includes children recently affected by the ravage of hurricanes and provides supplies and materials for impoverished children in school.

    According to UNICEF’s website, “$1 can buy pencils for a class of 30 students, $8 gives a UNICEF kit that provides clean water to a family, $15 sends a box of 5 mosquito nets to protect kids from deadly malaria, $55 gives a box of 150 food packets to save a malnourished child, and $210 buys a School-in-a-Box to help 40 refugee kids learn and heal.” It is reassuring to know how far a little bit of money can go to help children and their families.

    Helena Cochrane, faculty sponsor and Spanish IV teacher, also believes in UNICEF’s continuing effort of aiding children. Cochrane expressed, “With Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, we want to raise not just money, though we do want to collect at least $100, but we also want to raise awareness about the dangers kids face all around the world.” Spreading awareness for the event has just as much of an impact as raising money because it brings more people’s attention to the issues that UNICEF is trying to solve. Cochrane concluded, “We look forward to a year of service that could connect our WFS population to agencies that help children around the world.”

    UNICEF is a great foundation whose purpose is to help those in need, whether it is by donating school supplies, providing clean drinking water, or helping to repair buildings. O’Donnell believes that vast opportunity inequality for children in particular is a problem in this world, so she organized this event for kids at WFS to participate. “The purpose of this event is to show kids that there are other children out there who need more than candy.”

    Halloween is a time usually for trick-or-treating with your friends to see who can get the most candy in one night. O’Donnell believes that by combining free candy with important donations to a social cause, “it also highlights one’s privilege and helps to combat against this disparity in a fun and creative way.” It helps to connect our neighbors and our community to other communities outside of the United States.

    This Halloween, think about the kids who are not as fortunate as you; step up and grab an orange box and ask for a donation to go straight to those in need. Happy Halloween!