On October 20, 2020, Cass High School’s bus parking lot exploded with Halloween spirit with the first annual Trunk or Treat. With planning efforts spearheaded by Ms. Brennan’s third-period leadership class, the idea of a Trunk or Treat and Haunted trail became a tangible reality. Brennan stated, “the leadership kids really learned how much effort it takes to plan an event and were anxiously awaiting the day to come, but when it did everything went smoothly and turned out to be an exciting event!” 

The Trunk or Treat featured about 40 cars, representing various sports teams, clubs, and members of the community that came together to provide a Halloween experience for local children. In addition to the joy of brightening the afternoon of children, each trunk was competing for a $50 cash prize awarded to the best trunk, a decision judged on by members of the leadership class. Kingston Elementary’s CandyLand theme left with the top trunk of the night, as it featured an adaptation of the traditional board game on the pavement.

The night also featured a haunted trail, a fright-filled adaptation to the Colonel Trail that wraps around the school and athletic facilities. With themed sections like out of the asylum, zombies, and purge paired with the addition of Pennywise from the movie It, the haunted trail proved to be a massive success. Throughout the night anticipation built and the line for the trail began to wrap around the parking lot, leading to the inclusion of a school bus to take the crowds through the trail. One of the scarers Maddie Shook decided her “favorite part about the haunted trail was getting to dress up, scare people, and most importantly bond with my soccer team.”

With the massive success and community involvement in the inaugural year, one can assume that the Trunk or Treat will become a tradition at Cass High, merging the high school joy of the Halloween spirit and the childhood joy of candy. Prem Patel sums the night up well by stating, “It was one of my favorite events that I was a part of… The kids were excited and everyone just had an amazing time overall.” The willingness of the student body, teachers, and administrators to get behind an event that connects it to the community reveals that the slogan Cass Family is not just held to athletic teams, but it’s the way of the school. Without the care that the students and faculty have for each other and those around them, events such as Trunk or Treat would not be possible.