by Sylene Argent
Witches aboard their trusty broomsticks were not the only ones able to zoom around this spooky season, as members of the Cottam Rotary Club prepared for and hosted its “Fly by Halloween” event last week.
Last Thursday evening, the Rotarians convened inside the pavilion at Ridgeview Park to make bags of candy for its “Fly by Halloween” program, which was designed for area youths of families choosing an alternative way to celebrate Halloween this year, due to the pandemic.
The local Rotarians dressed in costume for this special meeting, which allowed them to celebrate the scariest part of the year in style.
Community families wanting to take advantage of the unique Halloween alternative were able to preregister with the local service club.
On Halloween, the Rotarians then dropped off the candy bags to youths throughout the community, in a contactless fashion that promoted social distancing efforts. This program allowed area youths to still be able to enjoy Halloween, if their families decided to forgo the trick-or-treating tradition.
The Cottam Rotary Club’s members wanted to host the “Fly by Halloween” event to show the community the local service club is still active, even through the pandemic.
The Cottam Rotary Club was one of many clubs that had to cancel fundraisers, due to COVID-19. The members were especially disheartened to have to cancel what would have been the 58th Annual Cottam Horse Show and Fall Festival, which annually takes place at Ridgeview Park.
The Cottam Horse Show and Fall Festival, which offers a horse show for area residents to watch and a vendor area full of unique items to purchase, is the Cottam Rotary Club’s largest annual fundraisers.
Funds the Cottam Rotary Club raises always goes back to the community. That money could go towards supporting bursaries for high school students, the 2nd Cottam Scouts or other youth endeavours, or hosting community events.
Looking ahead, the Cottam Rotary Club intends to host its annual Christmas Tree Sale from the pavilion at Cottam Rotary Park, which is another annual tradition the community looks forward to each year.
For more information about upcoming Cottam Rotary Club events or initiatives, check out its social media page.