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September
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INSIDE
Voyager Media Publications • www.shorewoodsentinel.com
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Vol. 18 No. 41
NOT SO SCARY Shorewood Chamber’s costume swap takes fear out of Halloween costs
By Stewart Warren For the Sentinel
B
uying a kid’s Halloween costume can be very scary. They’re relatively expensive, especially because most children will wear it only once, and then it’s tossed into the back of the closet to gather dust. After all, you don’t just
buy the costume.There are accessories to buy, too. A mask. A wig. Make-up. A hat. Shoes. At that point, the cash register at Party City will never stop ringing. “You spend at least $30,” said Denise Schmidt, director of the Shorewood Area Chamber of Commerce.“Multiply that by a family with four children.” This year, there’s way to beat that.The chamber is having a
Halloween costume exchange. Beginning Oct. 16, bring clean and gently used old costumes to Shorewood Village Hall, 1 Towne Center Blvd., Shorewood. Drop them off at any department in the building, and you will receive a ticket for each donated outfit. Then come back to Village Hall between 10 a.m. and noon on Oct. 19.You will be able to choose one new costume in
exchange for each ticket. “This will allow some of our folks who have had challenges this year to get a new costume,” Schmidt said on Tuesday as she explained the project during the Shorewood Village Board meeting. There’s just one thing to remember while participating: If an essential part of the costume, such as a hat or mask, is missing, please attach a note to the
clothing explaining that fact, Schmidt urged. These days, the chamber is planning its programming with an eye on residents’ wallets. “We are trying to implement as many things as we can that are free and family-friendly,” Schmidt said. Mayor Rick Chapman supports that focus. “People are struggling,” he said.