Walpole High School was packed this past Saturday as families joined members of Walpole High’s UNICEF Club for their annual Trunk-or-Treat fundraiser on Oct. 22. Sharing the day with the town’s Uncommon Art on the Common, the fundraiser called for kids and parents from all over town to celebrate the upcoming holiday through Halloween-themed stations, raising loads of money and welcoming large crowds. 

With activities similar to a carnival, attendees were able to “trick-or-treat” out of members’ car trunks to celebrate Halloween and raise money for the club. Those who attended could buy tickets and were handed out stamp cards for members to stamp. From there, children could walk through candy, food, games and prize stations, with opportunities to win different prizes based on their game scores. The fundraiser was meant to get families into the Halloween spirit through kid-friendly activities that mainly younger children could participate in, and also help the club raise money for charity at the same time. With all the differing factors, it took weeks of preparation and planning from the UNICEF committee to host such a successful event. 

Of all of UNICEF’s yearly events, the Trunk-or-Treat is one of their most prominent fundraisers, as it raises most of the club’s money. Thanks to advertising and the great amounts of participation, the club raised over 600 dollars, an increase from previous years.

“Last year, people were limited to staying in their cars, which left it being a very quick event,” club president Rachel McDonough said. “This year, people got to move around, talk to others, and stay as long as they wanted.”

The event lasted for two hours as local families, along with club members, showed up with a variety of costumes. Additionally, members volunteered to help run each of the different stations throughout the entire course of the event. The club members attribute the event’s success to prominent advertising effors, including hanging flyers over town and making posts on social media.

“With the crowd we saw, we can spread the word about our club and reach out to the community so they can be on the look-out for our next events,” club vice president Madi Cataloni said. 

Thanks to the significant number of families that attended and immense amounts of advertisement, many members of the club are hoping for more events similar to this in the future. Although numerous UNICEF events consist of bake sales that take place during other events, the club has plans for the spring, including an Easter-themed fundraiser. 

“I think the rest of the year will go great.” club treasurer Sandhya Moorthi said. “Even if none of our future fundraisers go as well, I feel like we’ve gotten enough of a footing that we can have a good year.”