by Maureen Forsythe, BCA Youth Director.
On the sunny afternoon of October 29th some 31 local youth, wearing an astonishing variety of original costumes, descended on the park outside the Blackburn Community Center for a couple of hours of ghoulish fun and games. Sophie Nicolas (as YouTube personality Technoblade), Matts Robinson (as Marshmellow) and William Michaud (as Captain Cardboard) shared top honours for best costume, as voted by fellow participants.
After a game of Ghost in the Graveyard – with Téa Bedard volunteering to be the first ghost – everyone gathered in a circle to listen to the story The Haunted Grove by S.E. Schlosser. A planned game of Balloon Soccer Relay morphed into a less formal game, with participants trying to kick their balloons up and down the soccer field. Everyone then sat in a large circle for a game of Pass the Pumpkin, trying not to be eliminated each time the Cuban dance music stopped playing. Finally, there was a spooky Scavenger Hunt, with teams of participants trying to find the 28 mini-pumpkins and three ghosts hidden in Blackburn’s own haunted grove beside the soccer field! Winning teams were invited to reach into a bag and select their own prizes (with no peeking).
Captain Cardboard, also known as William Michaud, won the Jelly Bean Guess contest, taking home his prize of 618 jelly beans. Treats and refreshments were available during the event and treat bags were distributed at the end.
Special thanks to Valerie du Plessis for helping to set up the scary decorations before the event and fellow BCA board member, Barbara Whittaker, for being on site to help with the various activities.