The following was submitted by LEAP Executive Director Henry Fernandez about the organization’s Oct. 28. Halloween festivities.
LEAP’s annual Halloween Party was a blast. Hundreds of children, parents, grandparents and volunteers joined for a magical and spooky night complete with games, pumpkin painting, trick-or-treating, movies and a “haunted house” that was in fact a haunted locker room. Here are some highlights.
There was lots of dancing! NHPD Sergeant Tammi Means and LEAP Computer Learning Center Director Shyrelle Spears led Police Academy recruits in a rendition of Michael Jackson’s Thriller. (Watch the video above.) Assistant Chief Lou Casanova, Sgt. Tammi Means, Sgt. Elliott Rosa and several recruits were wonderful volunteers throughout the event, this past Friday night.
Katie Crandall Photos
The New Haven Police and Fire Departments were in the house. Early in the festivities, police recruits and teens in the LEAP LIT program got to know each other before volunteering with younger children. LEAP’s Elvert Eden and Erica Pretty led ice breakers. Then later, officers from the NHPD and NHFD offered children the opportunity to climb into a fire truck and run the lights in a police car.
Face painting was in high demand, and lots of friends — spooky and not-so-spooky — had a good time trading stories, playing games and trick-or-treating on Lyon and Williams Streets.
Among those in attendance were Rep. Rosa DeLauro’s grandkids, some skeleton brides, cook cats, and lots of butterflies.
This is what a community looks like.