Local church hosts trunk-or-treat for community

ZANESVILLE, Ohio- Halloween is just two days away and a local church hosts a trunk-or-treat for the community.

Cars lined the parking lot of Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church filled with candy and snacks for trick or treaters. The church has been hosting the trunk-or-treat for over seven years now as a way for families to safely trick-or-treat. Kim Smith has organized the event for the last four years and says the church usually sees over 300 kids coming through the parking lot.

“The advantage of trunk-or-treat is that it is a controlled environment. We have church members that take care of parking the vehicles to make sure the children are safe. All of the cars that participate in the trunk are stationary and don’t move the whole time the children are through.”

Church members decorate their cars with different themes. One family went the Disney route decorating their car to resemble a scene from Aladdin. And one woman created a pumpkin patch honoring those who lost their lives to breast cancer. Families were able to enjoy the themes while filling up on candy. Debra Sarbaugh brought her grandkids trick-or-treating.

“It’s a safe place for them. They get to dress up, have fun, be active in the community. I get to spend some good quality time with them.”

Santa Claus also showed up to give candy to the kids as well as the Washington Township Fire Department. Pleasant Grove said they wouldn’t be able to do this event without the help and support of the community and Dollar General, who donated candy.