Trick or treat is a phrase typically reserved for children, but the Hannah’s Hope team made sure that the adults also got a chance to have their fun this Halloween season at the Hannah's Hope Halloween Bash.
Attendees arrived donning costumes that ranged from Mr. and Mrs. Freddy Krueger to Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head to superheroes. The venue, Sycamore Hall of Woodland Park in Portage, was festively decorated in orange and black, with skeletons, cobwebs and low lighting to create the perfect Halloween ambience. With plenty of snacks to munch on, music to groove to, and ever-flowing libations, the Hannah’s Hope Halloween Bash provided a fun environment for adults to let loose and channel their inner-child.
Randy Wilkening, President of the Portage Parks Foundation, which has been working together with Hannah’s Hope for about a year, spoke about his expectations for the Halloween bash.
“[Tonight] is more or less a celebration. They did the community build on the playground last month and the ribbon cutting [for the new playground] is tomorrow, so now is just a time to unwind and have fun. That’s what tonight is basically about, we wanted to have fun and raise a little money for a good cause at the same time," said Wilkening.
Fellow Portage Parks Foundation board member, Shannon Burhans, spoke further about the relationship between the Portage Parks Foundation and Hannah’s Hope.
“Our mission is to make sure that we provide the park with any needs they may have, so when the opportunity to partner with Hannah’s Hope and the city came up we knew that we would do whatever we could to work with them and for Portage,” Burhans explained.
She also went on to discuss the importance of the Halloween Bash.
“Everyone has worked really hard to get the playground up and running and our purpose here tonight is to just raise a little more awareness of all the efforts that Hannah’s Hope has put into the playground and provide a chance for everybody to kick back for a bit.”
Local Portage residents were also on hand to give their motivation for attendance. Their reasons ranged from a night of fun, to supporting a great cause in their community.
“When I heard that tonight’s event was going towards helping Hannah’s Hope and the parks department fund the new park being built, we came out to support the community and give back a bit,” Said Megan Morris.
“I came out to support Hannah’s Hope and have a good time with my friends,” Said Patricia Green.
On the faces that weren’t hiding behind masks, or beverages, the smiles spoke for themselves. The theme, “time to be a kid again” truly came to life as the event was filled with a community of individuals gathered together for a good cause while sharing good fun.