A man in Austin, Texas, has made it his personal mission that every child can have a Halloween costume. In 2016, Christopher Waggoner moved into a house rather than an apartment and so trick or treaters came to his door on Halloween. He saw some kids watching the elaborate costumes other kids had ruefully. Now he spends all year collecting Halloween costumes to give away.
At first it was a one-man show. Waggoner trawled through thrift shops to find costumes, then repaired and washed them ready to give away. The first year, he collected about 100 costumes, but over the years many volunteers have joined to help with the Halloween giveaway. On the 27 September event this year, October's Child, his non-profit, gave away 2157 costumes and 1000+ accessories.
A local school lends its parking lot and the giveaway is an event in itself. It's held in September so that parents haven't already spent money on costumes. Single-parent families or parents with several children are delighted to find costumes their budgets wouldn't stretch to to buy.
Not only that, the costume giveaway is a green option. “It’s doing something for people, but it’s also helping save the planet,” Waggoner says. “So many people will get a costume and will never wear it again.” As the giveaway heads for its tenth year, it has become a calendar fixture and people often bring back costumes so someone else can wear them.
Kids love the chance to pick out a costume they really love, or mix and match elements for an original look. But the volunteers have as much fun as they do. “I love when you hear a kid go ‘woah!’ You know they’re truly excited,” Waggoner says.
Copyright(s) :
Courtesy of Nathan Richardson
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