Students are partnering once more with the Bexley Recreation and Parks Department to patrol neighborhoods for Halloween.
The Halloween Patrol is an annual group of students who volunteer to walk around parts of Bexley while local children trick or treat. Run by Bexley’s Recreation and Parks Department and promoted on campus by the Office of Student and Community Engagement, it will be taking place this year from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31.
“Halloween Patrol is a group of community volunteers that walk the streets in Bexley during trick or treat and keep an eye out for suspicious activity and aim to ensure the overall safety of everyone involved in the evening’s festivities,” Kevin Smith, the recreation supervisor of the Recreation and Parks Department, said.
Abbey Rutschilling, the program coordinator of the SCE, said in an email that Capital has been involved with the patrol over the past 8 years. She also said the event is a wonderful opportunity for students to get a great experience with community engagement.
“Halloween Patrol is another way for our students to help out in the community,” Rutschilling said. “The volunteers are assigned to a small neighborhood and walk around to make sure the children are having fun. The volunteers are just an extra set of eyes and helping hands, if needed, and the volunteers also have the opportunity to connect with our Bexley neighbors.”
Spencer Delk, senior history integrated social studies major, is excited to have another chance to volunteer for the event. His fraternity, Alpha Sigma Phi, has been involved with the patrol for the past six years.
“We just find [that] the Halloween Patrol’s a good way to get out into the community of Bexley. We feel that it’s a good way to reach out to Bexley and to show that … we might be college students and we might coexist with one another here in Bexley, but we still care, we want to make sure your kids have a safe trick or treat,” Delk said. “And, it’s fun because we get to see the community then on Halloween.”
Delk explained that his organization got involved again this year because Bexley contacted Capital’s Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Association to spur more involvement from greek organizations.
“The actual city of Bexley reached out to IFC, so they actually reached out to all the Greek organizations in the IFC, social fraternities and sororities, and said hey, would you all be willing to volunteer for Halloween Patrol so that way we have volunteers because we know you need service hours,” Delk said.
Delk also expressed his gratitude toward the opportunity that the event gives students to interact with the community.
“My favorite part about this event is just honestly being able to talk to the people of Bexley, being able to talk to the families, being able to make sure the kids have a good time. I remember back when I obviously trick-or-treated many years ago that I enjoyed it … being able to trick or treat while being safe is a big thing,” Delk said.
If any groups or individuals are interested in volunteering for the event, please contact Kevin Smith via email at ksmith@bexley.org.
