The Saint Louis Children’s Specialty Care Center hosted its annual Trunk-or-Treat on Oct. 19, bringing together multiple aspects of the Saint Louis community together, including, first responders, hospital staff, and families for a safe evening of fun.

Held this year from 2 to 4:30 p. m. the Saint Louis Children’s Specialty Care Center provided a place for businesses and people to have a trunk-or-treat. This event has been held for 6 years altering locations from the Specialty Care Center in west county as well as their location in  south county, this year it was held at the West county hospital. The event is a way to help connect to the Saint Louis community and to stay connected with patient’s families, even including help from the West County EMS and Fire Protection District to do so.

“We use resources we have put away in our PR budget to buy bags of candy,” said Colin York, a captain from the West County EMS and Fire Protection District. “And the on duty fellas come out here and say hello to all our friends and people and it’s really fun.” So everyone on duty today gets to come out and meet all you guys,”

The efforts made by West County EMS and Fire Protection District wouldn’t have been possible without the organizers made by the organizers from the Saint Louis Children’s Specialty Care Center.

“We’ve been doing this for 6 years now,” said Heather Denochick, organizer of the Saint Louis Children’s Specialty Care Center Trunk-or-Treat. “We start in the spring with departments to join in, by October 1st we know who is participating and I start working on the layout, goodies to hand out and trunk assignments.” “Week of, I am reaching out to everyone where to set up at, and on the day of, I am making sure everyone is where they need to be and has what they need.”.

The planning pays off for families attending, such as Drew Hoppe and his family.

“We’ve been here about 20 minutes,” said Drew Hoppe, a trunk-or-treat attendee. “It’s been a lot of fun, we saw the fire trunk and the helicopter, now we’re here by the bubbles,”. “This is the first one for this season,”.

Hoppe had shown how tied this was to the community, and how the fun he and his family enjoyed, had paid off the efforts made by the West County EMS and Fire Protection District as well as Denochick within the Saint Louis community. “It’s to host a trunk-or-treat and bring back to the community, to let them know that we’re here and what we kinda offer,” she said.