Greetings!
I look out the window today and marvel what a difference 24 hours makes!
We have to be extremely grateful for the perfectly beautiful weather we had yesterday for Trunk or Treat!
Judging from input from the three entrances points, the amount of candy given, the pictures, and from just walking around we easily had over 1000 people in attendance!!! I counted 24 cars that came decorated! Helen and I came early and set up the three festive balloons. The dragon was repaired and performed perfectly. I purchased the new Jack Frost Pumpkin for only $60! Marked down from $250! It was a hit and, the three balloons afforded the families great photo opportunities!!
Denny Daniels and his display table from the Museum of Interesting Things was a HUGE HIT!
I hired Dhanesh and Beata to make a small documentary and cant wait to see it!
We do a lot of events! As you noted in the last copy of the minutes, we are coming to our tenth anniversary of doing events as the Friends of Maple Grove. I enjoy this one the most because of the children and because of how Maple Grove truly comes to life with laughter and joy!
Celeste and Santiago were the Welcoming Committee at the Lefferts Blvd. Entrance Gate. They asked everyone who came in where they hear about this event and if it was their first time at Maple Grove. Celeste estimates that 70 percent were new comers! They hear about it from facebook, instagram and saw the banners I hung up a month ago! The stream of people entering that entrance and the other two entrance was ongoing for the entire two and half hours. They came by car, by foot and bicycles! One of the most touching photos for me, was the one of the bikes and scooters parking area created by the entrance!
Archbishop Molloy and St John University sent over an amazing group of students who also had a wonderful time! There were two young students at the Food Table and they collected a massive amount of food that cover the floor of the entrance room at the Victorian Building!
Andrew and Maria with Giovanni and Marco were the first cars to come and get decorated! Aida came by to judge the best car and she worked with Jo Anne. We awarded a $100 prize grand prize, a second place prize for $50 and for the first time a prize for a child who had a wonderful creative costume for $25! Jo Anne took photos.
Alex came by and purchased $200 in candy as many of the cars had started to run out of candy!!
Thanks to all the BOARD MEMBERS who came and helped with the clean up. Michele was there as well and she helped get the word out to the community!!!
The thanks that we received from the families were heart warming. They could not thank Maple Grove for doing something so unique and extraordinary for the children! We should be very proud of what we have accomplished! The families were very grateful that something like this was happening in the heart of their community!
Thank you
Carl Ballenas
President of the Friends of Maple Grove
