After canceling Trick-or-Treating on the Lawn in an Oct. 8 email to Lawn and Range residents, the University offered several volunteering opportunities in place of the event, which typically draws hundreds of community members and families to the Lawn. Students were able to get involved in a number of different ways — from assembling treat bags to helping out with local Halloween festivals at City of Promise and Charlottesville City Schools.
During a typical year, Lawn residents and CIOs pass out candy, while other students come to enjoy the holiday with members of the University and the greater Charlottesville community. Interim Dean of Students Julie Caruccio and Gay Perez, assistant vice president of student affairs, cited COVID-19 as the reason for the event’s second consecutive cancelation.
Though the event is held outdoors, public health officials expressed concern at the prospect of holding a gathering for a large number of unvaccinated children. As of Oct. 20, individuals aged 0 to 19 account for more than 21 percent of COVID-19 cases in the Blue Ridge Health District. However, only children over the age of 12 are currently eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
The event was also canceled last year due to COVID-19 concerns, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention deemed trick-or-treating a “high risk” activity during the pandemic. In 2019, the event was delayed by one day due to inclement weather.
Despite disappointment about the event’s cancelation, graduate student and Student Affairs fellow Graysen Viar expressed enthusiasm about the Trick-or-Treating on the Lawn alternative volunteering initiative in an email to The Cavalier Daily.
“While I was sad to see my favorite event of the year canceled, knowing that safer alternatives were in place to continue the [Trick-or-Treating on the Lawn] mission was exciting,” Viar said. “Even having a direct hand in making these alternatives a reality helped to make this year more special in spite of all of the challenges COVID-19 has brought.”
Volunteers helped out in several different ways. The largest activity involved putting together more than 2,000 treat bags filled with candy, stickers and pencils. Groups of 10 students gathered in the Newcomb Programs and Councils office Oct. 19 and 20 afternoon to assemble the items.
Other volunteers helped distribute treat bags to local Charlottesville children and run Halloween programming for children in the area. Some volunteered at City of Promise’s Fall Fest Thursday, which included music, games, food, prizes and costumes to celebrate the holiday. City of Promise is an organization dedicated to ending generational poverty and working to ensure high graduation rates in the community .Others signed up for a Halloween celebration at the Charlottesville City Schools, which will take place the morning of Oct. 30.
Volunteering opportunities were released to Lawn residents first, as Trick-or-Treating on the Lawn is a signature event for those who live on the Lawn or Range. According to Viar, opportunities also will open up to the rest of the student population so that any interested students can participate.
Viar said he hopes the volunteering efforts will still capture the spirit of Trick-or-Treating on the Lawn.
“Our goal is to help serve Charlottesville children and families in a capacity that is both safe in the current state of the pandemic but continues to uphold the same values of Trick or Treating on the Lawn,” Viar said.
In addition to the treat bags, the University will hold a virtual costume contest for local children. Guest judges will award prizes to winners in different categories, such as “most creative” and “most school spirited.” The University plans to release further information about how to get involved in the costume contest.
The University is also collecting donations of money and candy to support local children.
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