Youths enjoy Essex Optimist Trunk or Treat/Home Hardware Haunt for Hope

by Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative

Halloween season is officially here, and members of the Essex Optimist Club and staff with the Essex Home Hardware provided two great events that took place side-by-side on Saturday to celebrate.

  The opportunity provided local youths a chance to try on their costumes a little early and enjoy some fun and games.

  Inside a portion of the Home Hardware facility, youths and their families were able to go station-to-station as part of the Haunt for Hope carnival fundraiser. Children were able to dress in their costumes, collect candy, and try their hand at a variety of games, such as a bean bag toss, ball toss, and fishing for goodies.

  Essex Home Hardware hosts Haunt for Hope annually, raising funds for the Windsor Cancer Centre Foundation to support those with breast and prostate cancer. Fundraising for this takes place throughout the Month of October.

  Owner/Dealer Kimberly Seguin-Gauthier said already around $5,000 has been raised to support the cause. $1100 of that was raised Friday alone, when Home Hardware hosted a baked sale.   

  She was pleased with the turnout during the Haunt for Hope event, happy to see so many families take advantage of the opportunity to stop in and have a little Halloween-themed fun, while raising funds and support for a worthy cause.

  “It’s nice to have the kids out. It’s fun,” she said.

  Home Hardware, Seguin-Gauthier added, hosts fundraisers like Haunt for Hope, because its staff enjoys giving back to the community.

"It feels good to give back,” she added.

  Though Home Hardware hosts the event, its staff members are the ones who take it to the next level.

  Also on Saturday, in Essex Home Hardware’s parking lot, members of the Optimist Club of Essex hosted its annual Trunk or Treat event. There, children were able to go trunk-to-trunk to trick-or-treat.

  They were also able to pick out and take home a pumpkin. Families also had a chance to stop by the Essex Youth Centre, located in the basement of the Essex Recreation Complex, where they were able to transform their pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns, with the help of the Junior Optimist Club.

  Essex Optimist Treasurer, Sandy Larivee, said hosting events like this are ways to entertain kids, providing them an opportunity to have fun and learn about the importance of giving back to the community.

  The local Optimists are working with the new Junior Optimist Club, because it is really important to instill in youth the importance of its motto of "bringing out the best in kids."

  President of the Essex Optimist Club, Mike Nantais, noted youths are the most important thing there is. That is why Optimists, he added, are called friends of youth.

  Larivee thanked Essex Home Hardware for allowing the Essex Optimist Club the opportunity to use its parking lot to host the event.    

  The Essex Optimist Club could always use more volunteers. Those interested can connect with members via its social media to learn more, or check out a meeting hosted on the second Tuesday of every month at 6:30pm inside the Essex Youth Centre.