The Dads of Castle Rock held their first annual Trunk or Treat on October 30, 2020 from 6pm to 8pm at the Miller Activity Complex amphitheater parking lot. Almost 50 vehicles were decorated and stocked with candy, ready to hand out to Castle Rock’s Trunk or Treaters.
Despite the long line and the temperature in the mid 30’s, the atmosphere and attitude of everyone there was incredible. Families came in themed costumes, kids in line were playing in character with each other, while parents were lost in conversation.
The planning phase for this event was long and extensive. Being able to implement safety and COVID protocols by securing the resources to be able to check the temperature every guest and ensuring there would be enough masks to provide people were a high priority proved to be a challenge.
“While we were still planning this and trying to figure out how many volunteers and candy we were going to need, none of us thought that we would have more than 1,000 people show up at most,” Tanner Cole, the DoCR Director of Events said.
Only 800 people were expected to attend, however, when the line to get in reached nearly a half a mile long, with a wait over an hour, Tanner knew they was far surpass that number. 45 minutes after the gates had opened, all of the volunteers were nearly out of candy. Ashton Brooks, the DoCR Chief Financial Officer, had to make three emergency candy runs to Sam’s Club, spending over $1,200 on candy to ensure all of the volunteers had enough candy to pass out.
It was clear this event had more significance to people than just a Trunk or Treat event. They had been trapped in their homes for months, devout of personal contact with anyone outside of their homes.
“We were devastated when we were told that all Halloween activities would be cancelled this year because this is our son’s first Halloween,” a mother said in line with tears welling up in her eyes. “Thank you to all the DoCR dads who have given us this memory.”
“My son had a great time and was so excited to do something ‘normal’. Thank you to DoCR and all who made this possible,” another parent said.
“It’s the small moments when someone tells you how much of an impact you’ve had on them. It validates that what we are doing is actually making a difference in the community.”
Robert Zearing, DoCR President
By the end of the night, over 2,500 people came to the Trunk or Treat event, more than tripling what was expected.
Brad Langerak, the DoCR Vice President said that “there will always be people who don’t like you and will be vocal about it. But seeing the smiles on these kids and their parent’s faces lets us know that it’s all worth it.”
