See the bushels of treats given to hundreds of families by Parkrose Business Association members and friends …
Inside the Parkrose High School parking lot, and with a line streaming down the street, the official 2018 Parkrose “Trunk-or-Treat” is underway.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Giving families, especially those with wee little ones, a fun and safe Hallowe’en experience was again the goal of the Parkrose Business Association’s (PBA) “Trunk-or-Treat” held the late afternoon of October 28.
After spending the afternoon guiding vehicles into spaces, filling the east parking lot at Parkrose High School, organizers couldn’t recall if this was their third or fourth annual mounting of this event – but we looked it up, and it was, indeed, their fourth such Parkrose Hallowe’en parking lot party.
Giving treats to a youngster at the party is Portland Police Bureau North Precinct Sergeant Greg Stewart.
There at the “Trunk-or-Treat”, businesses, neighborhood associations, nonprofit organizations, and emergency first responders – including the Portland Police Bureau, Portland Fire & Rescue and AMR Ambulance – each set up a canopy, partially covering their trunk (in case the rain that came), and greeted the river of families who glided by giving them treats, not tricks.
As this “Trunk or Treat” gets underway, organizer Kristin Trevino spends a moment with music maker and announcer Kenneth Poirier of Sir Kenneth Mobile DJ Service.
“All of our spaces are full, with 35 ‘trunks’ giving out candy and goodies to our neighbors today,” smiled the perennial organizer, PBA Board Member Kristin Trevino from Signs Now-Portland.
“The PBA started this, years ago, as a fun way to ‘give back’ to our community who supports us; it was successful from the start, and it’s grown in popularity since then,” Trevino told East Portland News.
The Mystery Machine gang with Scooby Doo, looking suspiciously like folks from Parkrose Hardware, give visitors both candy and photo opportunities.
The party is all based on volunteers creating not-so-scary booth themes, aided this year by eight members of the Parkrose High Elite Dance Team. The business association purchases loads of extra candy, to make sure none of the participants run short when as many as 1,700 participants strolled by.
The effort is worth result, the organizer reflected; “especially, for me, when a mom comes by and says she and her husband work different shifts, so they usually have no Hallowe’en for the kids during the week.
“She said this is the perfect event for them, because they come after church, and are even able to bring the grandparents to enjoy this with them.”
Kids get ready for the costume judging; winners get a bag of goodies and gift certificates.
Sponsors and in-kind donations make this possible; the PBA thanks Parkrose Grocery Outlet, Argay Square, Brown’s PointS Tires, Parkrose Burgerville, Hookset Automotive, Sir Kenneth DJ, American Sani Can, City of Roses Disposal and Recycling, Parkrose Hardware, Signs Now, Northwest Parkrose High School, Historic Parkrose Association, and Parkrose Neighbors.
Handing out treats are PBA members Alison Stoll of Central Northeast Neighbors coalition and Wayne Stoll of Argay Square.
Learn more about the Parkrose Business Association by visiting their website: CLICK HERE.
© 2018 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™