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SMU students and Starlight Children’s Foundation give special children one great Halloween
By Melanie Parga, Communications Assistant - Starlight Children's Foundation
Nov 2, 2009

DALLAS, TX – Southern Methodist University’s Hughes-Trigg Student Center was transformed into an eerie epicenter on Saturday, October 31, when 100 SMU students from Kappa Kappa Gamma and Starlight Children’s Foundation put on a Halloween carnival for more than 50 seriously ill children and their families.  The event was part of Starlight’s Great Escapes program. 

Children wore costumes, played games, meandered through a box maze, created crafts, and won raffle prizes.

Starlight’s Great Escapes program provides monthly events for families with a child dealing with a serious or chronic illness.  At these events, families have a chance to relax, regroup and return to their normal routine of doctor's offices and hospitals with a renewed sense of hope. 

It was the carnival’s safe environment, a mother said, that she appreciated most. While her three children busied themselves with activities, she watched on—relieved and relaxed. In the same room, other families also celebrated Halloween and other milestones. A young Spiderman celebrated his seventh birthday and won a giant Pokemon statue in a raffle. Another little boy got out of his wheelchair to kick a soccer ball into a goal over and over again.

It was unanimous: the carnival lived up to everyone’s expectations.  Families had a great time.

Starlight’s Great Escapes program currently serves over 380 families in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, putting on over 20 events each year.  For more information about Starlight, visit www.starlight.org/Texas.