Keep Halloween safe for youth

Keep Halloween safe for youth

Halloween is a time for young people to dress up as their favorite cartoon character, music artist or superhero. It’s also a holiday that The American Legion believes children and parents should know how to observe safely.

The Legion’s brochure, "Make Halloween a Fun and Safe Night," provides trick-or-treating safety tips to keep in mind on Halloween. The brochure can be found and downloaded on the Legion’s publication’s web page under Children & Youth: www.legion.org/publication

The American Legion also encourages posts to promote Halloween safety and to make it a fun evening for youth in the community. Last Halloween, Post 490 in Houston hosted a party for local youth with food, games and treats.

When the children arrived at the post, Legion family members filled their Halloween baskets with candy and gave them each a trick or treat bag containing a ruler with the photos and names of the U.S. presidents, a No. 2 pencil, a book marker quoting the Pledge of Allegiance, and the Legion’s "Our Country’s Flag" comic book and "Geography Coloring and Activity Book."

"The post was filled with children of all ages, and everyone was enjoying watching the children play various games," said Gil Hernandez, public relations chairman for Post 490. The games included musical chairs, throwing bean bags inside a large pumpkin and fishing in a pond. Post members fed the hungry trick or treaters hot dogs, popcorn and cotton candy, and allowed them to safely trick or treat around the post’s neighborhood as volunteer police officers monitored the area. 

Hernandez said the highlight of the evening was the costume contest where 128 children participated. The contest was divided into three age groups (1-4 years old, 5-8 years old and 9-12 years old) and a child from each age group won for wearing the scariest, most original, cutest and most patriotic costume. The 12 winners were each given a $50 savings bond.

"Regardless of selections, the crowd thought all the contestants were winners," Hernandez said. "Supporting our children and the community gives our post a great feeling of accomplishment."