It’s not often you get to see Spider-Man, Simba, Cinderella and Russell Westbrook team up but that was the case on Thursday, as a group of trick-or-treaters descended on OMRF.
This bubbly mix of Disney characters, superheroes and basketball superstars came together with one common goal in mind: have fun. And if the ear-to-ear smiles and hallways echoing with the sound of laughter are any indication, their mission was a success.
The 50 children were students at Positive Tomorrows, Oklahoma’s only elementary school specifically serving homeless children and their families. The school provides free, private education targeted to address their unique needs. This program is offered from kindergarten through fifth grade.
“We deal primarily with children whose families are homeless, live in deep poverty and are having all varieties of issues,” said Positive Tomorrows President Susan Agel. “We provide schooling, we work with the parents, we do after school activities and camps during school breaks; it’s our intention to help the families become stable so that the kids can move into public schools and really thrive in the long term.”
And an integral part of achieving this goal is to provide opportunities these children might never have otherwise, like having a Halloween costume.
And these weren’t just any costumes. Each child’s was hand-made by students from Oklahoma City University. Decked out in their intricate costumes, the youngsters moved through the hallways collecting treats from OMRF staff members and also got to partake in several games and other activities. The event has become an annual tradition at OMRF, which hosted the group for the eighth straight year.
“A lot of our children miss out on experiences like these so to see their faces light up is just amazing,” said Agel. “It’s great fun for all of us.”
