Smiling children, costumed volunteers and plenty of Halloween treats filled Five Counties Children’s Centre in Cobourg on Wednesday, October 28, as families took part in the centre’s annual All-o-ween trick-or-treating event.
Held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the centre on Division Street, the event provided an accessible Halloween experience for children of all abilities, allowing them to enjoy the excitement of trick-or-treating in an environment designed to meet their needs.
Staff and volunteers dressed in costumes and handed out treats and toys as children made their way around the centre. The Northumberland Lions Club was also on hand cooking burgers and hot dogs, while members of the Northumberland OPP gave children an opportunity to see a police vehicle up close and learn more about the police service.
Five Counties Children’s Centre CEO Scott Pepin said this was the third annual All-o-ween event, with 50 families scheduled to participate at the Cobourg location.
“This is an accessible Halloween experience for kids of all abilities,” Pepin said.
He explained that traditional trick-or-treating can present challenges for some children, including navigating stairs or wearing costumes that may limit mobility.
The centre developed the event after hearing from families about the need for an alternative that would allow every child to participate.
“You can come here at our Halloween event in the future years and every kid is going to be able to participate,” Pepin said.
For some children, the event provides an opportunity they might not otherwise have.
“In a lot of cases, this is the only time they’ll be trick-or-treating because it’s an accessible environment,” he said.
The atmosphere throughout the evening reflected the importance of the event to both families and the people who helped make it happen.
Pepin recalled one group whose members said their cheeks hurt from smiling so much by the end of the night.
“That’s amazing what the staff do, and you can just see how worthwhile it is when you see the smiling faces of the children,” he said.
Pepin said the commitment of staff members was especially evident, with employees volunteering their time after a full day of work and enthusiastically dressing up to take part.
“It’s a calling. It’s a passion,” he said.
“Everybody dresses up and it’s just a lot of fun. You’re making a difference in children’s lives, and there’s not many jobs that are better than that.”
Five Counties Children’s Centre is a children’s treatment centre providing a range of developmental services to children and families.
Services include physical rehabilitation, speech-language therapy, occupational therapy, social work and specialized clinics.
Pepin said the centre serves approximately 2,000 children annually in Northumberland County and nearly 7,000 children across its entire service area.
With its combination of treats, costumes, community volunteers and accessible activities, All-o-ween offered families an opportunity to celebrate Halloween in a setting where children could participate in their own way.
For the staff and volunteers, the reward was seeing the children enjoy an experience that might otherwise have been difficult to access.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
