Children and families dressed in Halloween costumes were rushing to USC’s Greek Village Thursday evening to trick-or-treat with students involved in Greek life.
USC’s Sorority and Fraternity Councils joined together to host their annual event, Trick-or-Treat with the Greeks, to provide an alternative or addition to children’s Halloween fun in a new setting.
Megan O’Brien, vice president of programming for USC’s Sorority Council and fourth-year biological sciences student, stressed the importance of this event for the children.
“There are people that live in areas where it's not necessarily safe to be out that late at night, so we want to make it a safe place for the community to come out and trick-or-treat,” O’Brien said.
People all throughout the Columbia community were encouraged to participate in the event, whether as an alternative to traditional trick-or-treating or an extra night of candy and fun for kids.
Amy Helms brought her kids trick-or-treating through Greek Village for the first time on Thursday, and she was pleased with the event.
“They like having the games to play with and being able to be outside and active with other children around ... I like when things are blocked off and safe and also having activities and not just having candy ... You can also use the costume more than once,” Helms said.
This year, the Sorority and Fraternity councils partnered with Dance Marathon and have collected new costumes for children at Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital. The children will wear the costumes to a Halloween carnival this Monday.
The students in Greek life also benefit from Trick or Treat with the Greeks, as it makes them nostalgic for their trick-or-treating days.
“Being surrounded by college kids all the time, you forget how fun it is to be a kid on Halloween, so it's definitely a good time to see the kids and see how excited they get about it, too.” O’Brien said.
In addition to candy, students also encouraged kids to participate in other activities such as cornhole, drawing, face painting and even a dunk tank.
Third-year student and Alpha Chi Omega member Abbey Witt has helped with the event for several years.
“We get to see the kids happy, and it gets to put a smile on our face ... and it brings our sisterhood closer together because you get to spend time with sisters in a fun way.” Witt said.
Trick or Treat with the Greeks is in its 12th year at USC.