North End centre desperate for donations for Safe Halloween

Donations of candy are needed to meet the high demand of trick-or-treaters in the North End.

The annual Safe Halloween event at the Indian andMtisFriendship Centre doesn't have enough treats for the number of kids expected to come to the party.

"We're still short candy for about 1,200 kids," said executive director RickLavallee.

Organizers making changes to how they hand out candy this year

8 years ago

Duration 1:32

Candy donations are badly needed in the North End to meet the high demand of trick or treaters for Halloween this year.

They had long lineups last year andhad to turn kids away because they ran out of candy, he said.

"It was about 2,200 kids that we had come in last year, so that's quite a bitand it increases annually, so we definitely need those donations," saidLavallee.

To help meet the increasing demand, staff will only hand out candy to kids age two to 12 this year.

"Well, last year we had a whole lot of teens coming in here, so we're going tofocus on the younger kids this time,"Lavalleesaid, addingteenagerstried a little trickery to getfree goodies.

"There were things like [teenagers] trying to go out the back door, and then they switch jackets and come back in the front door again, so things like that, but you know, we have more volunteer staff this time, so they can't fool us,"Lavalleesaid.

• Estimated 2,000 trick-or-treaters come to Safe Halloween
• North End centre offers 'safe Halloween' for 3rd year

This year,they will also have extra security andcandy packagedin bags that kids can pick up easily when they go through the doors,instead of staff handing out individual candies to every child or parent, he said.

Winnipeg Harvest will donate healthy snacks as they do every year, but more donations are needed because of the increase in new Canadians who have moved into the area over the past year, he said.

"There's a whole lot of new landed immigrants and they're welcome to our Friendship Centre,"Lavalleesaid."It's goingto be nice for a lot of those kids to experience Halloween, and some for the first time.

Newcomers put candy in high demand.

8 years ago

Duration 1:00

Donations are needed to meet the high demand of trick-or-treaters in the North End. The Indian and Mtis Friendship Centre says candy donations are down for their annual Safe Halloween event this year.

"We also have a Harvest food bank here on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and Iwould say that about 25 per cent of the folks that use our services are new Canadians,"Lavalleesaid.

The annual Safe Halloween event began after a triple shooting in Winnipeg's North End in 2010. The goalwasto help bring families together and help kidsfeel safe in their community.

• 2010 triple shooting was drug related, Winnipeg police say
• Winnipeg tripleshooting from 2010 still unsolved

"It is a high crime area, and it's paramount that the kids are safeat Halloween."

Donation lettershave been mailed to businesses in the community and the centre is also accepting cashdonations from the public.

Donations can be dropped off at the Indian andMtisFriendship Centre at 45 Robinson St. between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.