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We Scare Hunger campaign way to keep teens involved in Halloween By Hazel Garde, Grade 10, White Oaks S.S. rick-or-treat -- the spooky night of Oct. 31 is a time of screams, laughter, candy and fun. But at what cost does Halloween come? Can it do good for the community as well as satisfying children with candy? Every year, stores are filled with an overwhelming variety of Halloween products. According to a U.S. survey, almost $7 billion is spent on candy, decorations and costumes. We can all agree that it's fun to get in the spirit of Halloween, but are we spending too much? Has material need reached an overwhelming point? Should we cut down on the Halloween costs to buy more important things? One tremendous organization is working to make Halloween a very productive night as well as an enjoyable one -- not only a fun time for all, but also an extremely important means of helping others. Free the Children, founded by famous humanitarian Craig Kielburger, holds its annual campaign called, We Scare Hunger on Halloween night. Instead of collecting candy, kids collect nonperishable food items for the local food bank. This campaign not only teaches youth about helping others, but it also makes a tangible difference for members in our community who cannot afford healthy food. In 2011, more than 290,000 people participated in We Scare Hunger and 833,648 pounds (378 kilograms) of food was donated -- enough to feed 164 families for a year. This is so much more important than all that candy. If everyone in Oakville participated every year, think of the difference we'd make and the lives we'd change for good. Most children enjoy going out for Halloween when they're young, but when does that young age end? I am a teenager now, but I still love coming up with a creative costume and going door-to-door with my friends. The We Scare Hunger campaign is a great way 13 · Friday, November 2, 2012 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.insideHALTON.com T for teenagers to continue to enjoy the fun of Halloween. So, should teenagers be allowed to go trick-or-treating? As long as they have positive intentions, I believe they are welcome to trickor-treat and have fun. Halloween has already come and gone this year. It's always so much fun to carve pumpkins, put up decorations, to create a costume and, on Halloween night, head out around our neighbourhood. I believe that Halloween should be lots of fun, and participating in the We Scare Hunger campaign was a way through which I, and many other youths, had a great time. It enabled us to be selfless and giving to our community on the evening of Oct. 31. If you are a teacher or student interested in participating in an upcoming Kids Speak Out - School News column featured in the Beaver, please e-mail Tom Dykes at ellergreen58@gmail.com. The best way to Cogeco Digital TV. enjoy it Over 6,000 On Demand movies and shows1 Awardwinning customer service2 TV & Internet that don't interfere with each other Up to 150 HD channels 3 Learn more at Cogeco.ca 1-800-780-3525 Shop at our store in Oakville Place Available to Burlington and Oakville customers. 1. Cogeco On Demand service is offered where the technology is available and for customers who meet the Cogeco On Demand access requirements. Cogeco offers the most titles in its territories. Access to some content may require a subscription to the TV package containing the associated digital channel. Channel availability may vary per region. 2. Cogeco call centres have won the "Highest Customer Satisfaction" award in the telecommunications / TV category awarded by the SQM (Service Quality Measurement) in 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011. 3. Cogeco High Definition service and programming requires the purchase or rental of an HD receiver. The number of available HD channels may vary per region. HD channels are available with the subscription to the equivalent channels in Standard Definition.