Associated Pediatricians and KidWorks came together to host their third annual trunk-or-treat event in Valparaiso on Sunday, October 27.
Families dressed in their best Halloween attire and admired the creative ideas and decorations of over 30 different themed participating vehicles. Employees of Associated Pediatricians, KidWorks, and the MAAC Foundation handed out goodies — stickers, goldfish crackers, glow sticks, and, of course, candy — to thousands of children.
Eleni Jenkins, a medical assistant at Associated Pediatricians, and her friend had a “Where’s Waldo?” theme for their setup to mimic a similar room inside the office. They wanted to entertain the children walking by and get patients used to the nostalgic character.
“It's always nice seeing the kids coming up to us,” Jenkins said. “It’s super exciting. We’re also seeing a lot of our patients coming through.”
The annual event came about after Dana Gibson, practice manager at Associated Pediatricians, got together with the practice’s partners to try the staff's idea of hosting a trunk-or-treat on the premises.
Gibson hoped attendees would find joy in attending the trunk-or-treat event. She enjoyed seeing months of hard work pay off in the positive reactions of the families.
“It’s such a simple word, but I hope they find joy,” Gibson said. “It’s a great feeling to see families dressed up in costumes, sharing laughter, taking pictures together, and celebrating in a family-friendly space that we’ve created for them.”
Aside from collecting treats, attendees also experienced a stilt-wearing member and hourly dance performances by the Nasty Witches of Porter County. A group of witches surrounding their head witch, Fran Kras, agreed that the group likes to be a part of the community and people expect to see them at events now.
“It’s fun,” Kras said. “We get to see all the trick-or-treaters. We get to see all the little kids. We get to see all the smiles. We get to hang out together. We get to do our costumes together. This is our fun time.”
Although Gibson admitted the trunk-or-treat event was modest and chaotic when it started three years ago, the group has learned from its mistakes and watched it become more popular over time. The success of the free event comes in the form of smiles and memories.
“Of all my community involvement in the practice, our trunk-or-treat remains my most favorite event,” Gibson said. “For me, it’s the event's growth, the time I invest in it, and then witnessing the community’s genuine enthusiasm for my efforts. I love doing things for others, so their happiness makes me happy.”
To learn more about Associated Pediatricians, visit associatedpediatricians.com.
