by Garrett Fodor
From firefighters and police officers to animals and cartoons, thousands rolled into LaSalle for the town’s annual “Truck or Treat” event.
On Saturday afternoon, thousands of families from throughout the Windsor-Essex region gathered at the Vollmer Culture and Recreation Complex to enjoy the Town of LaSalle’s annual “Truck or Treat” event. The Halloween-themed activity spawned out of the pandemic initially, providing an opportunity for children to trick-or-treat in a controlled environment.
They were also able to look at various commercial vehicles from companies and organizations within LaSalle and the community. The trucks were all decorated and lined up throughout the grounds, offering participants a chance to trick-or-treat and engage with the local businesses in the spirit of Halloween.
“Our first event, we had about 200 kids, and last year – in year four – we had over 4,000. It’s great to see it grow,” LaSalle Mayor Crystal Meloche commented. “It’s great to see the joy in the children’s faces between the candy, their costumes, and getting to see and potentially go into - or on - some of the different vehicles. The children love it and that’s what it is all about.”
Meloche noted the event featured nearly 50 different businesses who were onsite to hand-out candy. That was in addition to those who brought various vehicles and staff members from the Town of LaSalle. Over the course of the four-hour event, Meloche said they will likely have handed-out over 50,000 pieces of candy to the children participating, as many businesses also supplied some of their own candy for the children to enjoy.
Other participating businesses offered a chance to indulge in free hot chocolate, cotton candy, and snow cones.
“Our staff does a fantastic job every year, creating something different and new for everyone to come and enjoy,” Meloche said. “It means a lot to see so many families out together and enjoying the festivities at a low cost. It’s truly a crowd favourite and something a lot of people look forward to. We’re fortunate to have had great support from our community partners to help the event grow.”
Meloche is proud to have seen so many people in LaSalle enjoying the festivities and looks forward to seeing it grow for years to come.