The Burlington County Library System Pinelands Branch will be holding its third annual Green Halloween.
The costume swap allows those in the area to donate their costume and receive a ticket to pick up another one. All the costume donations are through the library.
“It was so hugely successful, so much so we’re doing it again this year,” said Carole McKiernan, youth services coordinator at the main branch located in Westampton. “So many children grow out of costumes, and it’s sitting in boxes or drawers.”
The idea originated with Danielle Haubrich the youth services librarian at the Pinelands branch located in Medford.
“It actually came from an off-hand conversation with a mom at a costume event,” Haubrich said. “She commented the costumes were expensive and wished parents could do a swap at the end of the year. The comment stuck with me to the following Halloween, and it grew from there and continues to grow.”
Between 20 and 25 kids came out for the swap last year, and a total of 65 kids attended the event at the Westampton location.
“This year’s event will be held on Oct. 6, which is part of National Costume Swap Day,” said McKiernan.
The official national swap day lists all the branches in the nation participating in the event.
“The library is registered in the national directory. The actual date is Oct. 13 but the libraries will be holding it the sixth,” Haubrich said. “It’s a nice common spot for everyone to get the word out about their swaps.”
According to Green Halloween’s website, Green Halloween is a non-profit, grassroots community initiative to create healthier and more Earth-friendly holidays, starting with Halloween. It began in the Seattle area in 2007 with backers such as Whole Foods Market and was such a huge success that, in 2008, the initiative expanded nationwide. In cities across the country, volunteer coordinators are turning their city’s Halloween holiday healthy and eco-friendly, but many are also raising money for their own, local nonprofit beneficiaries via the initiative.
Participants do not need to be a library cardholder to donate and swap. Residents in the area are encouraged to come to the event with their children.
“We just want to help the community and this is a good way to reach everyone,” said Haubrich.
Gently used and complete costumes will be accepted for the event, according to McKiernan.
“We wanted kids to get the full experience of getting a costume for free that they could potentially buy,” McKiernan said.
“We’re expecting our biggest turnout yet this year,” Haubrich said. “It’s so exciting to see kids get costumes. They get to make their selection, and the kids are thrilled to pick one out.”
The costumes swapped don’t need to be used strictly for Halloween. The library is encouraging parents to bring their kids who are in need of dress-up costumes.
“Parents brought their kids in for something to play with as well. Costumes can get expensive,” said McKiernan.
No costume from the swap will go to waste. All the donations were sent up to the main branch following Pineland’s swap last year and the remaining costumes after the main branch’s swap was donated to a local church.
This year, all the branches will be donating the excess costumes to Goodwill.
For more information on Green Halloween and other branches in the area, visit www.greenhalloween.org/costumeswap.
