SALT LAKE CITY — It was all smiles Friday at the Maverick Center as kids who suffer from critical illnesses got an amazing Halloween "Trunk or Treat” to remember.
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There were more people and sponsors of this event than ever this year to help make those kids days and they hope that in the years to come they can go even bigger.
Make-A-Wish Utah set up the drive through so that kids who have yet to get their wish, or have recently received one, were able to celebrate in a COVID-safe way.
The goal, to help all those kids on their journey to recovery through joy and a fair amount of
Jenny Horton (who defiantly dressed up as Horton from “Horton Hears a Who”) talked to FOX 13 about the importance of the day saying, “for families that weren’t able to go through the neighborhood or didn’t feel as comfortable through the neighborhood, they are able to come here.”
This year's theme was children' story books and so many different themes from sponsors including Disney Princesses, Dr. Seuss characters, and, of course, Star Wars were handing out candy to bring smiles to all.
“Really that’s one of my favorite parts seeing the kids hanging out of the windows able to interact with them” Horton said.
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The organization used to do the event indoors to keep Wish kids in a safe environment, but with COVID a concern, the last two years were moved to the Maverick Center.
“At Make-A-Wish we are all about keeping the health and safety of our kids first and foremost” she says adding that “really being able to see what make a wish can bring, whether it be Darth Vader or seeing their favorite Dr. Seuss character or the hungry, hungry caterpillar.”
One mom told FOX 13 that “it's just super awesome to have the support from the community with our kids going through a tough time” with all the kids ready to get candy in the back.
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One of those ready to get all the candy they could was Milo who was dressed as an evil minion. When asked what the favorite candy of the day was, Milo responded “umm…” after a long pause “I don’t care what candy it is… I love all candy.”
Ultimately, for Horton she says that they are all about granting kids their wish and if that’s seeing any of the mythical characters “that’s what we are all about if we can bring hope strength and joy to any of our wish kids. We’ve done our job right!”
