WINDSOR, ONT. -- As people in Ontario’s hot spots are being asked not to trick-or-treat as usual this year, residents of Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent have the blessing of public health to take part in the age-old tradition.
But many are still grappling with a tricky question: how does one dish out the treats from a safe distance?
Windsor-based ‘Build a Dream‘ is launching a national contest to see if the youth of today can save trick-or-treating in 2020.
“Youth come up with some really creative, innovative ways with solving the world’s biggest problems and I’m sure that they could solve how to give out candy, COVID-friendly,” says Nour Hachem-Fawaz, the founder of Build a Dream.
The contest is open to students Grades 9-12. To participate, students can showcase their inventions on Instagram using the #dreamtobuild and tagging @build_adream.
“This is another way that we can bring the community together in a very difficult time and make things a little bit lighter, a little bit fun,” says Hachem-Fawaz.
Great ideas are popping up online, including an innovation courtesy of the folks building the Gordie Howe International Bridge — who posted a clip of someone handing out candy using a toy excavator.
Other videos posted online feature many variations of using a chute down a porch for contactless candy.
Even Canada’s top doc offered some ideas.
“There’s some really interesting ideas where people are handing out treats at the end of a hockey stick or something,” chief public health officer of Canada Theresa Tam said during a recent media briefing.
If you’re still not sure about the safety of trick-or-treating, Build a Dream wants to make sure no one gets left behind.
The not-for-profit is teaming up with corporate partners to assemble two-thousand candy bags to be delivered at a soon-to-be announced location.
“With cancel culture and all of the things being cancelled, I think we really need to prioritize our youth and our kids and help them see that things can still continue in a way that’s a new normal, but still fun,” she says.
Contest Winners will be chosen on Nov. 2, with a slate of prizes — including a drone, AirPods and a speaker — up for grabs.
“Because truly, the only way we’re going to get through COVID is together,” says Hachem-Fawaz.
Youth are also being encouraged to dress up in the profession they want to be when they’re older, and post it to social media using the hashtag #dreamtobe for a chance to win a Build a Dream merchandise package.
