Every year, the doors of the Moose International headquarters building swing open on Halloween to welcome the children of Mooseheart. While tricks are in very short supply, there are treats aplenty. This year, all three floors of the fraternity's headquarters were the usual beehive, as a bevy of preschool, elementary and middle school-age students scampered from office to office in search of goodies. From the bulging sacks and overstuffed pumpkins with which the children departed, and the resulting empty candy dishes throughout the building, the children did their usual superb job in vacuuming up all available candy. |
Mooseheart first-grader Vero Paye carefully selects some candy.
The numbers of trick or treaters swell as campus staff members and Family Teachers' children also make the rounds of the Supreme Lodge. Ethan Reinke, son of Illinois Home Family Teachers Eric and Rhonda Reinke gets some candy for his pumpkin with a little help of Barb Tuma, the secretary in the Education and Training Department.
While a buzz of activity took place all around her, Mooseheart kindergartener Amber Hayden stays focused on selecting her candy.
Trey Ahrens, son of Mooseheart Director of Residential Living Ron Ahrens, was clearly prepared to clown around while trick-or-treating.
Every year, there is at least one group of children who come in incredibly elaborate costumes. This year, that honor fell to these four boys, dressed like characters from the Wizard of Oz. In the back row, from left are Emmanuel Toe as the Cowardly Lion and Sam Toe as the Scarecrow. In the front row are Andrue Cunningham as the Wizard of Oz and Ryan Perry as the Tinman.
Just as in the Wizard of Oz, Toto was difficult to track down. The movie's precious pup was portrayed on Halloween by Trevon Cunningham, who at 18 months of age, is the youngest child currently in residence at Mooseheart.
It didn't happen often, but there were rare moments when a group of trick-or-treaters could be halted for a group picture. Then they scampered off in search of the next waiting tray of candy.
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