The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) at Hofstra University hosted a Halloween Bash on Oct. 27, featuring live band performances, raffles and fun activities while raising money to make an impact around the world.
UNICEF at Hofstra is a nationally recognized UNICEF Campus Initiative Club that advocates for and supports child survival initiatives globally. Some of its popular campaigns on campus include Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF and the UNICEF Tap project.
According to club President Jill Mitrevski, the Halloween Bash is the organization’s biggest event of the year. This annual event included food, fun activities like coloring, Halloween-themed temporary tattoos and performances from two student musical groups: The Performative Males and The Hofbeats.
To raise money, the club set up a raffle table and a henna booth.
“All of our proceeds from the Halloween Bash are going to support UNICEF as a national organization,” said Alanalee Hughes, a senior neuroscience major and the club’s events coordinator. “On their websites, they have specific initiatives that you can fund to know exactly where your money is going.”
The raffle baskets were comprised of items donated by 10 to 12 local businesses, including gift cards from diners, restaurants, AMC Theatres and the Hofstra University Bookstore. Attendees could also take part in a costume contest, with a $50 gift certificate from the Colony Diner awarded to the winner.
“[It took us] two months to plan,” Hughes said. “We started going out to talk to people in September, and we had to go back multiple times just to organize whether they could donate.”
Many attendees came to support both the cause and their friends in the club. Julia Fielding, a junior public relations major and second-time attendee, discussed the community it builds.
“I wanted to come support, and it is a really great event that brings the community together for a good cause,” Fielding said. “I really like the fact that they bring together a bunch of different clubs to perform. It’s nice to see a lot of different faces that aren’t… involved in UNICEF but come out to support UNICEF’s mission.”
Along with uniting the community through fun activities, UNICEF at Hofstra aims to create a lasting impact through participation.
“I want to show people that… when you give, it’s going to be multiplied and given back to you,” said Giovanna Georgy, a junior neuroscience major and the club’s vice president. “When you give something so small, like a $5 entry fee, we want to give you that back tenfold. We want to give you a performance and food and the ability to enter a raffle, the ability to get henna and all of that.”
With close to 75 attendees, the event brightened up students’ Monday night as well as the people around the world who benefit from UNICEF at Hofstra’s contribution.
“On Hofstra’s campus it is important to show the importance of volunteering in community, but also, giving back … five dollars, that’s 500 pencils [donated] for a school,” Mitrevski said. “For the greater community, it’s nice to know we’re making such a nice impact.”
Anita Ellis, the faculty advisor for UNICEF at Hofstra, praised the leadership of the students who organized the Halloween Bash, now in its fourth year.
“The students are just dedicated – from day one when I met them at the activities fair,” Ellis said. “When students learn how to give, or take time to actually do community service or raise money for a cause, these experiences will last them a lifetime. What they do now will last them far beyond graduation.”
