By Rod Hirsch, SBPA Executive Director
Students at Somerville’s public and parochial schools were more anxious than usual for the dismissal bell to ring on Friday, Oct. 30 because they had been invited to show off their costumes in the first annual Halloween Parade down Main Street.
Sponsored by the Somerville Business & Professional Association, the parade was led by Sparkee and Slider, the popular mascots of the Somerset Patriots baseball team. A film crew from Cablevision’s “On the Loose” was on hand to videotape the parade, which will be shown in the coming months on TV.
In lieu of individual door-to-door trick-or-treating at stores this year, each child
marching in the parade was given a trick-or-treat bag at Borough Hall, filled with candy, others gifts, coupons and flyers.
A professional photographer was on hand at Borough Hall to take free photos of all Halloween Parade participants. Parents of parade participants should contact Leigh McLachlan of McLachlan Realty and Annie’s Balloons, chairperson of the parade committee for a username and password to access the professional photos. Once a password is obtained, the gallery can be viewed here. Further information is available by calling McLachlan Realty at (908)722-4588.
Trick-or-treaters are also encouraged to sort through their candy and make separate piles of their favorites and what they don’t want and donate their unwanted candy to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Candy donations may be dropped off at Rita’s, 54 W. Main St.; Beneath It All, 72 W. Main St. and Mannion’s Pub & Restaurant, 150 W. Main St.
Volunteers from Operation Shoebox New Jersey - a member of the SBPA - will collect the donated candy, which will be shipped overseas in care packages to members of the military.
