Trick or tomato? Instead of asking for candy, many ghouls and goblins have been asking for canned goods in the lead-up to Halloween. In small communities across the country, costumed activists are finding creative ways to fight hunger while having a scarily good time.
1. In Lafayette, Indiana, zombies prowl the streets, hunting for … BRAINS! No, actually, they politely ask for donations of non-perishables for the Food Finders Food Bank. Last weekend was the first ever ZombAid Lafayette. About 60 zombies collected more than 760 pounds of food. Who says zombies are selfish?
2. Meanwhile, the undead in Shreveport, Louisiana tried to scare up some support for the local Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana during their third annual Zombie Walk. They also dispelled the myth that zombies are a little stiff when they let loose at a zombie dance party. One participant explained the motivation for the food drive like this: “You bring food for people who are living so they can continue to live so we can eat them later.” But of course.
3. Not content to let zombies do all the good, witches in Manchester, Vermont will take to the skies, er, streets on Saturday collecting food donations for the Community Food Cupboard for their muggle neighbors in need. Organizers are hoping for 250 witches, including kids. Local retailers are offering anyone in a pointy hat discounts on clothing, appetizers and frog eyeballs. There will also be a group photo of the coven, which will undoubtedly make its way into CIA files.
4. What’s scarier than a haunted house? Finding only Spam in your pantry. That’s why for the second year in a row the Hulsey family in Riverside, California is converting their home into a spooky attraction and charging admission in canned goods to benefit the East Hills Community Church food bank. With supplies donated from Lowe’s and Ace Hardware, this year’s theme is “Pirate’s Crypt,” matey. Last year 500 visitors contributed 400 pounds of food and several dozen shrieks.
5. Here’s an effort everyone can join: Operation Gratitude, a nonprofit that sends care packages to troops overseas, will again be orchestrating its Halloween Candy Buy Back this year. Dentists offer up their offices as headquarters, and children come and hand over their Halloween haul (oh, the horror!) to be shipped to soldiers. Last year Operation Gratitude collected 61 tons of candy, which the troops said reminded them of home and helped them build relationships with Iraqi children. Sweet.
Photo by Daniel Hollister