Various student led organizations are inviting the local Auburn community to attend a free, contactless drive thru Halloween experience for children of all ages. It will take place Friday, Oct. 23 from 5-9 p.m. at 910 S. Donahue Drive, the campus of Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine.
This is an opportunity for children to dress up in costumes and get candy safely. Children and parents can join VCOM for a night of candy, games, and costumes.
Clarisse Fres, an osteopathic medical graduate student at VCOM, is helping host this event, and wants to assure the public that their children will be safe.
“We wanted to still be able to host an event where kids can safely celebrate Halloween despite COVID-19 still looming over our entire population,” Fres said. “By installing a few protocols, we believe we have created a way for kids to do this.”
VCOM is following COVID-19 guidelines while still allowing children to enjoy this Halloween season. Multiple protocols are being administered to ensure attendee safety during the event.
“The safety protocols we have installed include: making sure all volunteer and attendees wear masks and gloves, only playing contactless games and designating a direction for the flow of traffic throughout the event space,” Fres said. “[We’re] ensuring that attendees do not have to cross paths with any other participants at any time.”
These protocols will be strictly enforced throughout the duration of the event. Since the event is a drive thru, the attendants do not even have to leave their cars. Some of the contactless games that will be played are I Spy, Pictionary and Hangman.
“All games can be played from their cars with the windows rolled down, and all candy will be delivered to kids via a six-foot-long candy chute,” Fres said.
Throughout the event parents or children will not be in close contact with other families or volunteers to ensure the safety of everyone. The event will also be hosting an optional costume contest for the children.
“We will be taking their pictures and have judges that will decide the winner after the event,” Fres said.
Parents who wish for their child to participate in the costume contest are asked for consent for their child to be photographed as well as for an email. The winner of the costume contest will receive a prize.
“The winner will be notified via email and will receive and e-gift card,” Fres said.
Denisia Thomas, another Osteopathic medical graduate student at VCOM, is also helping co-host the event with Fres, and wants to make sure the word gets out about the event so that all children can come out and enjoy all VCOM has to offer.
“We really to get the word out to the public so that all the children can come and have a safe and good time despite COVID-19,” Thomas said.
The two VCOM graduate students said that they are excited to be hosting this event for the public to enjoy. Costumes are not required at this event, but both Thomas and Fres agree that if the children wear costumes, they will have a better experience.
“We encourage the children to wear costumes as there will be a costume contest where prizes will be given,” Thomas said. “If you don’t wear a costume you have no way to win the prizes.”
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