Today is Halloween, a holiday celebrated each year on October 31. This is a day of fun Fall activities and events for children and families alike with lots and lots…and lots of candy. More than 600 million pounds of candy and 90 million pounds of chocolate is sold in the United States during Halloween. This holiday accounts for one quarter of all the candy sold annually in the U.S. equaling roughly to $2.75 billion dollars' worth!
The White House has been celebrating Halloween since the days of Mamie Eisenhower and every president since has hosted a Halloween celebration. Even their furry four-legged companions get in on the fun. You can check out these unique historical photos on History.com.
President Obama and his wife Michelle in 2009, and President Trump and Melania in 2017, both invited scores of underprivileged children and children of military families to the White House to hand out candy.
Whether you celebrate Halloween or not it is undeniably a huge part of the fabric that makes up American culture. So why not add some meaning to your Halloweening? Over the past 72 years “Trick-or-Treat UNICEF” has raised over $195 million dollars for the United Nations Children’s Fund helping keep children and women in developing countries healthy, educated, and safe. This year their campaign has gone digital, inviting people of all ages to access a QR code through its website to donate directly to the fund. Kids can still show the code to grown-ups in their neighborhoods this evening and parents have been able to use the code all month long as a background on their smartphones or on social media. Donations of $55 can pay for an emergency hygiene kit for a family of five in Ukraine. And $19 can provide a tarp of heavy-duty plastic to protect people from winter winds.
While you might wake up on Tuesday regretting all that candy you ate, we can assure you that donating to “Trick-or-Treat UNICEF” is something you will feel great about!
