The Cranston Parks and Recreation department is seeking donations for its October 28, 2 to 4 p.m., Trunk or Treat event, which has expanded from its previous size thanks to help from the YMCA and AAA.

“Last year we did a Trunk or Treat in the Pastore Parking Lot, but this year we’re doing the Trunk or Treat and at the same time the YMCA will be doing a Touch-a-truck in their lot right next door,” said Parks and Recreations Principal Clerk Regina Lynch. “AAA is coordinating with us as well and will have some trunks down with ours. Between the three of us we will also be doing a costume contest and a trunk contest. It’s going to be lots and lots of fun.”

The event will be held at the Cranston Parks and Rec. parking lot, 155 Gansett Ave.

Lynch said they’ve already had a little over 25 cars sign up to provide trunks, but they are still looking for another  10-12 vehicles hoping to fill out the lot for, what they expect to be, a turnout of over 500 kids. Those wishing to help make this year’s Trunk or Treat a little more special can help by donating a Trunk (the one on your car will do just fine), treats to help fill someone else’s, cash to help offset the cost of the event, small toys or even local businesses to sponsor the event and supply gift certificates for things children may enjoy.

Last year, Lynch explained local restaurants got involved and funded the event — their second Halloween Trunk or Treat in a row — by supplying gift vouchers for things the children would get excited for. The most memorable of these donations, and one she said the children were very excited for, were certificates for free Mcflurry vouchers from McDonald’s.

“People can donate candy to either the YMCA office or Parks and Rec office,” Lynch said. “We’re both right here. If there are students who need community service hours they can sign up through Parks and Rec. If you’re in the general public you can sign up through AAA using. If push comes to shove, and I have enough teenagers volunteering their time, I’ll set some of them up with games on the grassy area to give one more thing for the kids to do.”

Marissa Beasley of AAA said that the organization had teamed up with Cranston Parks and Recreations in the past and had reached out again this year knowing that the department had held these Trunk or Treat events before.

“We started everything in probably March this year, I think,” Beasley explained. “This is actually one of two events we’re holding in tandem with the YMCA in Rhode Island this year. We’re doing a similar event in Smithfield on the October 14 as well. We were originally thinking of doing a haunted house with Parks and Rec, but we weren’t able to get it all up in time.”

Lynch confirmed that she would have loved to put together a haunted house for the kids this year, but was unable to do so this year because of a lack of funds.

“That’s going to require a good three or four thousand dollars to set up properly,” Lynch went on to explain. “If we were to do that we would do it here in the Pastore Center. We have a particular room that’s very empty on a normal basis. It’s just big enough and just small enough to do a haunted house in there, but I’d have to have certain types of things like movable walls. We try to use scaffolding this year, but it would clearly take too long to set up and to take knock down. I can’t tie up the room for two weeks.”

Movable walls, she said, would allow for the quick set up and take down of the event space and finally let her put her dream of the haunted house into action. Haunted house or not, everyone involved is still excited for the event, including those participating in the event from the YMCA.

“Trunk or Treat is something we’ve always done at the Cranston Y, but in the past it’s only been us,” said Kristen Ryer of the Cranston YMCA. “This is our first year working together with AAA or Parks and Rec. We’re very excited about that, and this will be the first year that we have the Touch-a-truck as well as the Trunk or Treat.”

Those looking to donate or participate in the event can start by finding a copy of the flyer, one is available on the city’s website at cranstonri.gov/cranston-parks-and-rec-ymca-partner-for-trunk-or-treat/, and scanning one of the QR codes there for more information about how to sign up. Those looking to just donate something other than their own time can contact Lynch and the Parks and Recreation Department directly at (401) 780-6169.