Trick-or-Treat event moves down the street this year

A new venue will mean some differences for the 15th annual Trick or Treat Safety Street, but it will still be a safe place for children to gather goodies.

Hosted by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, the annual event allows children to trick-or-treat 3-8 p.m. Oct. 31 in a controlled environment.

The environment this year will be in the Douglas County Engine Company station located between Fourth and Fifth streets, where instead of the false front doors that greeted children in the past, canopies will be set up.

"The design will be completely different this year," Sheriff's Youth Services Officer Chris Griffith said. "Everyone is getting their own 10-foot by 10-foot canopies. We'll get some ties and create a walking city with 24 storefronts."

Normally in the CVIC Hall, the event had to move to accommodate early voting. Griffith said it will be back in its old home in 2009.

The cost to enter safety street is $2 each, for which children get a raffle ticket for prizes that include books, bicycles or a scooter.

Children go from booth to booth gathering candy from participating businesses, whose representatives wear non-scary costumes.

This year Halloween falls on the Nevada Day holiday, so school will be out, but Griffith doesn't believe that will affect the crowd either way.

"I think the crowds will be normal, and the weather will be nice," he said.

The American Red Cross will be outside providing hot chocolate and coffee for people as they wait in line.

Children and their families will enter the fire station from Fifth Street, which will be cordoned off for the occasion.

"This will be the first time some of the kids get a chance to see inside the fire station," he said. "The firefighters are leaving their turnouts hanging there so people can see them as they wait in line."

There will be a costume contest with categories for children, parents and families.

The event was founded by Record-Courier Publisher Tim Huether in 1993 to provide children with a place to trick or treat without having to walk the streets.

"We have dark streets and not a lot of streetlights," Griffith said. "But Trick or Treat Safety Street doesn't have problems with kids getting hit by cars or slip-and-falls, and we don't have tainted candy issues."

Money raised by the event goes back to programs such as Drug Awareness Resistance Training, Gang Resistance Education and Training and Fighting Chance for all fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-graders in the county.