Treat Accessibly North America is hosting a trick-or-treat event for children with disabilities in Surrey on Saturday (Oct. 26).
Since its first event in Toronto in 2021, the organization has held similar events across the country. Last year, over 10,000 people attended one of the nine Treat Accessibly Halloween Villages nationwide.
This will be the third year Surrey will have a Treat Accessibly Halloween Village.
The event on Saturday will be in Newton (69A Avenue and Bristol Place) from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Registration is required for the free event as space is limited. Families can sign up for a one-hour time slot online at: treataccessibly.com/event-details/surrey-treat-accessibly-halloween-village.
Rich Padulo, the founder of Treat Accessibly, came up with the idea in 2017 when he and his daughter were putting pumpkins on their steps and saw a child in a wheelchair across the street. They realized he would not be able to trick-or-treat at their home because of the stairs. This is where it all began.
"Our family created the Treat Accessibly grassroots movement to help encourage homeowners, across Canada, to Trick-or-Treat from their driveways to show support for their neighbours with children with mobility, sensory or intellectual disabilities and to give all families a way to start opening their minds by thinking accessibly on Hallowe’en and beyond," Padulo said in a post on Treat Accessibly's website.
In addition to trick-or-treating at the 30 homes, magicians, a DJ and various costumed entertainers will be present.
