Mendonites 'trunk-or-treat' in weather more suited to Christmas

By Joel Featherstone

MENDON -- It might be freezing and it might be snowing, but that never stopped kids from getting their candy on Halloween.

Even though the snow came down heavy, Mendon still celebrated its third annual "trunk-or-treat" community event. With large snowflakes constantly falling, not only did some residents come out to the event, but a good part of the community. About 200 cars, vans and trucks filled the connected local park and church parking lots.

Even Mendon's Fire Department came with their trucks and crew to help control the event and direct traffic.

"We're trying to keep it so no kids get hit," said Assistant Fire Chief Dave Jensen.

After the parking lot filled up, the fire trucks controlled the entrances so no one else would drive after the event began.

Instead of the traditional trick-or-treat, trunk-or-treat consists of residents and their children driving to one location and parking and children getting candy from car to car as opposed to house to house.

Ryan and Katrina Bliss were there with two of their children and their SUV. The family said they enjoy the event.

"I love the trunk-or-treat, only if the weather would cooperate." Ryan said, "I think it's safer and you get done in one hour."

However, Katrina said they still stop by a couple houses after the trunk-or-treat.

Their son Jake, in a skeleton costume, was preparing to make his rounds. He said he likes the event, "'cause you get to dress up" and "you get lots of candy."

And at 6 p.m. Halloween night, the trunk-or-treating commenced as kids went from car to car filling their bags and buckets with sweets.

"Fast and furious" is how resident Paul Chase described the trunk-or-treat.

Cristi Linford, who was taking cover from the snow under the lifted back door of her minivan, was concerned she might run out of candy. The children came in small groups one after the next asking for candy, giving Linford no break.

Linford said she prefers the traditional trick-or-treat because it's more personalized.

"You get to see people's houses and how they decorate," she said.

She said with the trunk-or-treat, "you come and it's over." But she said there were pros and cons to both.

Craig Whiting, however, went for the more personalized look, while sitting in front of his car in a camping chair, passing out candy. He had three lit jack-o'-lanterns propped on the trunk of his car. He said his kids carved the pumpkins. Whiting was about the only one with car decorations.

Whiting said he liked the trunk-or-treat for the little amount of time involved.

"You get all your candy out fast and get home," he said. "It's a quick way to know the kids are safe."

All in all, it seemed the children hardly noticed the constant falling snow and the freezing cold as they happily went from one car to the next.

With Christmas weather on Halloween, Mendon's children showed their dedication to the tradition and more importantly, the parents showed their dedication to their children, by voluntarily passing out sweets while shivering in the cold.

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