100 kids attend Eckerd's first trunk-or-treat

More than 100 children attended the first Eckerd College trunk-or-treat on Oct. 24. The event featured 28 decorated cars parked on North Field.

Assistant Athletic Director Amanda Green proposed the idea for the college to host its own event. Previously, the athletics department sponsored one or two cars at local school trunk-or-treats. Green aimed to create a dedicated space on campus for families.

Student-athletes helped spread the word. Kailini Casazza, a junior biology major from Estero, Florida, and Morgan Wright, a pre-med senior from Sandor, Florida, are women’s soccer players and community engagement chairs for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. They called local elementary schools and delivered flyers to invite families.

Coaches also contacted parents whose children participated in Eckerd’s summer camps. Director of Equal Access and Campus Community Ann Sherman-White supported the initiative. She noted that the Unity Center had hosted similar events, providing a model for the athletics department. Several cars were sponsored by the Unity Center, and student ELS ambassadors assisted at the event and two participating elementary schools.

Sherman-White said, “It was all Amanda Green’s idea.” She added that supporting community events is part of her team’s work. Green credited the outreach efforts for the high turnout. She described the atmosphere as a fun and safe environment for children and families to make memories.

The trunk-or-treat took place during a women’s soccer match against Palm Beach Atlantic. Eckerd won the game 3-0. This victory secured an unbeaten conference record, the first time in the program’s history. Faculty, staff, athletic teams, and student clubs provided additional cars and candy.

Green said the response was overwhelmingly positive. She reported that families expressed interest in returning next year. “The enthusiasm made it clear that there is an opportunity to build on this event and make it an annual tradition,” Green said. For this inaugural year, the event focused on trick-or-treating and a prize for the best decorated car.