For the second year in a row, the annual Trunk-or-Treat Halloween celebration has been extra sensitive to those students with food allergies by including the Teal Pumpkin Project in the event.

“Ever since our elementary schools shifted from kindergarten through sixth to all-day kindergarten through fifth, we decided to host our Halloween event during the day, but we did not want the kids with food allergies to feel excluded,” said Rachel Marchetti, parent volunteer for Woodridge Elementary School. “I have a niece with food allergies, and my sister in-law told me about the Teal Pumpkin Project, so we decided to incorporate it.

The Teal Pumpkin Project is one in which teal pumpkins are used at trick-or-treating sites to indicate that there are food-allergy-friendly treats available for trick-or-treaters to enjoy, and oftentimes those treats are not food at all. In the case of the Woodridge event, white pumpkins were spray-painted teal and non-candy items such as pencils, tattoos, spider rings, and stickers, were donated by the families.

A Trunk-or-Treat event consists of families arriving at a designated site-in this case, the school parking lot- and setting up the back space of their trunk or car with Halloween decorations and candy for trick-or-treating. The trunks can be decorated with a specific theme or with general Halloween decorations.

“We had a very successful first year when we did it last year, so we opted to do it again this year,” Marchetti said. “It was a fun, safe way for all of our students to trick-or-treat with their friends. This year we also offered DumDum Lollipops, which are free of the top food allergens, so we supplemented with those as well.”

Marchetti said that it’s because of all the parent support and donations that the event is free for families to attend. PTO funding supplements the funding for the bigger ticket items such as a DJ for music, and for crafts.

“It’s been nice to switch it up with the Trunk-or-Treat event, rather than having a traditional Halloween dance and everyone can participate,” she said.

For more information on the Teal Pumpkin Project visit tealpumpkinproject.org.