“We Scare Hunger”

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With Halloween on Saturday, thousands of kids will be hitting the streets going door to door in search of candy but not all kids. For some, Halloween has come to them, and others are passing up the chance to load up on candy to help people in need.

At the McMaster Children’s Hospital this morning, staff were lined up from end to end all dressed up in costume for the annual Halloween parade.

There was iron man and the cat in the hat and the kids also dressed up as their favorite princess or superhero. “It’s an awesome way for kids to be able to come out and have sense of normalcy when they’re at the hospital” says McMaster Children’s Hospital worker Tija Praulins

For many of these children, it’s their first Halloween and unfortunately they won’t be able to trick or treat but they did get quite the haul. “They go back to their rooms and I’ve seen them sitting on their beds sorting their candy, which is always amazing to see the smiles on their faces after their done with the day.”

In the afternoon members of the Hamilton Tiger Cats showed up to surprise other sick kids handing out candy and signed footballs.

Ticats defensive lineman Brian Bulke says, “as a player we just love being able to come back watch these kids light up with the smiles it encourages us too we’ve got game day coming up and there’s nothing better than giving back.”

For the 16th straight year students from St. Thomas more will be trick or treating for canned goods instead of candy and this year more than 800 of them have volunteered their time to help feed the city’s hungry.”

Grade 11 student Julianne Luvisa says, “honestly i’d rather help the community, it’s more fun for me it’s so heart warming it’s better than candy.”

The Halloween event is called ‘We Scare Hunger’ and they expect to collect 80,000 pounds of food in Hamilton alone.

Free the Children’s Marc Kielburger says, “it’s amazing, young people across the country are doing this and we once again will break the one day collection for foodbanks in Canadian history and raise millions of pounds of canned goods.”

All of the food collected by the St. Thomas more students, will go to the neighbor to neighbor food bank.