Boo at the Barn a blast thanks to Chalmette Key Club

By Barry Lemoine  in NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
on October 27, 2015 at 8:55 AM

The inaugural Boo at the Barn event was a spooktacular success as nearly 2,000 people took part in this Halloween celebration.  Held at the Docville Farm, Boo at the Barn was a collaborative community project presented by the Chalmette High School Key Club, a youth division of Kiwanis International.

Alison Schroder, the Key Club adviser, said the aim of the event was to combine two projects.

“Every year, we work with our sponsoring Kiwanis club to gather food and assemble Thanksgiving baskets that we distribute to families in need within the St. Bernard Parish Public Schools,” Schroeder said.

“This year we decided to partner that project with this idea to create a safe, family friendly Halloween event for the children of our community.”

Sixty-five Key Club members worked the various stations throughout the evening, which included trick or treat stations, craft tables, face painting booths, and a variety of games.

Schroder said the event would not have been possible without the commitment of the Key Club.

The drive, enthusiasm, and passion of our Key Club members to serve this community is awe-inspiring,” she said.

“I am so proud and fortunate to know and to be able to work with them.  Teaching them to invest in their own community and to put service above self is the most rewarding job. They teach me as much as I teach them.”

Schroder was quick to credit the Meraux Foundation for hosting the event at Docville, calling it “the perfect setting.”

Schroeder also thanked the St. Bernard Arabi Kiwanis Club, the Davies and Gauthier Elementary K Kids, the Trist Student Council and Builders Club for candy donations, as well as Lacoste Elementary for the use of its Fall Fest games.

Schroder added that her fellow advisors, Michael Hudmon and Tony Morales, were instrumental in planning the event. She also gave kudos to this year’s Key Club Officers,  Savannah Montoya,  Tiffani Poteet,  My Linh Hoang, and  Kaya Lawrence.

In addition to raising money, Boo at the Barn also generated hundreds of food items.  Schroeder said the success of the event was better than she could have imagined.

“We were completely impressed with the amount of people who turned out for this event,” she said.

“Our community needs and wants events like this for our children, and that need perfectly fits the mission of Key Club and Kiwanis.  It truly was an amazing night of camaraderie in our community.”

Schroder said plans are already underway to make Boo at the Barn an annual event.

“The response has been so positive and so uplifting.  Seeing the pictures of all the smiling kids and hearing the praise and thanks of their parents truly affirms the success of this project.  We cannot wait for next year.”