All treats no tricks during pre-Halloween events

No tricks, just toddlers and treats paraded the hall of the Douglas County Community & Senior Center on Thursday, during the Toddler Time Trick or Treat event in Gardnerville.

Toddler time is the second and fourth Thursday of the month in the gymnasium at the community center. Children ages 9 months old to 5 years old can play and socialize with other kids, while parents mingle with each other in a safe and enclosed area.

“I love it because he gets social time, some kids he knows from daycare and he makes new friends,” said Smith Valley resident Melinda Stoddard of her 4-year-old Devin. “It’s clean and safe and I don’t have to worry about him coming here.”

At the trick or treat event Devin was dressed up as Catboy from the “PJ Masks” with his super-hero mates and friends, Owlette Tori Wiens, 3, and Gekko, Silas Wolden, 3.

“We met them through the program,” said Stoddard. “What makes it neat is not only is he socializing, but I am, too, and have got to meet like-minded mothers and make friends myself.”

The real treat at the center’s trick or treat event may have been the toddlers parading down the hall in their costumes, at least for the adults, as the center’s different departments including adult day club, the Community Health Department and administration office, the Young at Heart group and more handed out candy.

“It’s a really special thing for the seniors to interact with the kids and it brings them so much joy to do things like this,” said Recreation Leader Senior Heather Patterson-Lewis. “Another special thing is, we happened to have a driver’s ed class going on today too so the teens from there got to participate as well. It’s a really fun thing to do and to get the whole building involved.”

Patterson-Lewis said the Toddler time program is the even Thursdays of each month from 9-11 a.m. with special events like the Halloween one at least every other month. The next event will feature a special guest visiting the center on Dec. 9.

“That is a Friday, not our normal toddler time schedule, but it is a special day and event, and we have a visitor coming, so mark your calendars and we hope to see everyone there,” said Patterson-Lewis.

For more information visit Douglas County Community and Senior Center on Facebook or call 775-782-5500. The center is located at 1329 Waterloo Lane, Gardnerville.

More treats were handed out at First American Title Thursday for not only the children who participated, but for the teens at Douglas High School too.

First American Title, Keller Williams and Carson Valley Accounting hosted a Trunk or Treat event in their parking lot, where they donated the proceeds from the participating vehicles to the Douglas High School Student Assistance Fund, which helps teens in need. Cynthia Failor of First American Title said at least $2,500 was raised and lots of gift cards for Kohls, Burlington, Marshalls, and JCPenney were also collected for the fund.

“It helps kids throughout the district get things they need for back-to-school or just as needed,” said Failor.

“Our goal was to support the community and we did that,” she said. “We are happy to support the high school and our community.”

Failor said the group plans to host the event again in the future.

“We are grateful for the vendors who did show up and grateful for the community and the support,” she said.

More trunks are expected to open up through Halloween, beginning Saturday at both ends of Douglas County.

• Indian Hills General Improvement District opens their trunks from 3-5 p.m. Saturday at James Lee Park.

• Gardnerville Ranchos businesses including The Grill Next Door, Winks Silver Strike Bowling Alley, Realtor Jennifer Fredrickson and Coldwell Banker, 7-Eleven, Under The Magic Pine Tree and more will open trunks 4 -7 p.m. Saturday in the Tillman Center Parking lot at 1281 Kimmerling Road.

• Trick or treating will continue Oct. 31 with Safety Street noon- 5 p.m. at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. Cost is $5 per child.

• Trinity Lutheran Church and School will also host a trunk or treat 5-7 p.m. Monday. Trinity Lutheran is located at 1174 Mill Street in Gardnerville.

All trunk and treat events are open to the public and costumes are encouraged but be advised that they are family friendly events and costumes should be as well.