Halloween should be a night for costumes, candy, and fun and organizations including police want to make sure it's all treats and no tricks in CK.
Superheroes, princesses, cats, and killer clowns will be out and about on Thursday, October 31 but they won't be the only ones pounding the pavement.
Hundreds of students from Ursuline College Chatham (UCC) will also be going door-to-door for their annual Lancers Scare Hunger event. They'll be collecting canned and non-perishable food items to support Chatham Outreach for Hunger.
"Lancers Scare Hunger is more than just a food drive - it's a proud UCC tradition that showcases the heart and spirit of our school community," said UCC's principal Lisa Harnarine. "Our students look forward to this event each year, and it's incredible to see the way our neighbours respond with generosity and support."
The food drive has been going for 17 years, and this year Handy Bros has teamed up with the students and will transport all of the donated food to the food bank.
One of the students who took part in last year's event said she isn't sure exactly how much food they collected, but it looked like a lot.
"We had so much that we lined all the hallways with boxes and made a big pyramid in the middle of the main office," she described.
This year they're looking for protein like peanut butter and canned meats, as well as canned fruit, 100 per cent fruit juices, pasta and sauce, and peanut free snacks.
Most of the collecting will be done within Chatham, but some students will also head outside the city for donations.
All students collecting for UCC will be identifiable by name tags.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are offering some tips on how everyone walking around can stay safe this Halloween:
Trick-or-treaters should always walk on a sidewalk, if one is available, and use crosswalks to cross the street.
Parents are encouraged to dress their trick-or-treaters in bright colours to make them more visible to drivers and to ensure children's masks or other face coverings do not obstruct their vision.
Before the Halloween festivities begin, create a "buddy system" to help get each other home safely and prevent walking alone.
Be seen! Stay in well-lit areas whenever possible and consider carrying a flashlight or glowsticks.
Drivers should expect to see more pedestrians on roads and in uncommon locations, such as rural roads, on Halloween. Be alert and slow down for trick-or-treaters.
Stay particularly alert for trick-or-treaters who may come out from between parked cars or behind shrubbery. Stop for them and proceed with caution.
Never use or look at your phone when you are driving. Driving always needs your full attention, particularly on Halloween when there is an increased presence of pedestrians after dark.
MADD Canada warns that Halloween is one of the deadliest nights for pedestrians, adding that the risk is particularly high for children aged four to eight.
The organization asks that those who do plan to drink on Halloween make a plan to get home without getting behind the wheel.
