Halloween Costumes Find New Homes At Head O’ Meadow

By Eliza Hallabeck

For the first time, Head O’ Meadow students were offered the chance to swap out their old Halloween costume for another one after school on Thursday and Friday, October 16 and 17.

Tracy Holman and Michelle Melillo with the Head O’ Meadow Parent Teacher Association said the idea came from a friend who did the same thing at another school.

“We just wanted to do it with the economy,” said Ms Holman, who is co-president of the PTA, “to recycle and help parents.”

Students were encouraged to donate their old costumes by bringing them to school. Then once the costumes were donated, Ms Melillo sorted them and hung them on hangers. Each costume was sold for $3 and the proceeds from selling them will go to the Dorothy Day House Hospitality Fund, according to Ms Melillo.

“It’s nice to know another kid is wearing the costume,” said Ms Holman about donating the old Halloween costumes.

Both Ms Holman and Ms Melillo said there were many plush Halloween costumes, like a Winnie The Pooh costume that had extra stuffing around the belly. Ms Holman said these types of costumes are wonderful for children to wear at Halloween, because they will keep them extra warm.

Ms Holman and Ms Melillo sold the roughly 40 costumes that were donated for an hour after school on both of the days. They said more people stopped by to look at the costumes around pickup time for the students.

Ms Melillo said themes in the costumes that were donated included witches, Spider-Man, princesses, and a butterfly.

Ms Melillo’s son Luke helped his mother put the costumes together in bags. His Anakin Skywalker outfit from last year’s Halloween was donated for the cause, he said. On Thursday he was looking at another Star Wars character outfit for his possible costume this year.

“I gave her hangers to hang them on and to put them in the box,” said Luke, who is in second grade. 

To spread the word about the Costume Swap, Ms Melillo sent out letters in students’ book bags and printed an announcement in the PTA newsletter.

“This is cute for the kids,” said Ms Holman.