UWG hosted its annual Safe Treat event for everyone ranging from students to families from the community of Carrollton in the Quad on Oct. 27 with the help of UWG Housing.
Dozens of families showed up for the event in costumes made from home in the hopes of receiving free treats from an abundance of student organization tables that were set up around the area.
“I like to see the families coming out here, and I love to give back to the community and especially back to the kids,” said Tyler Richardson, a student member of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. “I also love seeing the creativity and work that the kids put into their costumes.”
Safe Treat offered many activities in addition to giving out free treats, with the most significant event being a pumpkin carving contest judged by Dr. Tressa Kelly, the first lady of the university.
“I really liked how creative and original the pumpkin submissions were this year,” said alumni member Tasiya Boyd. “The amount of work put into each pumpkin is very impressive, and I love to see them each year.”
Not only were families from the community welcomed to enjoy Safe Treat but many students on and off campus decided to join the fun as well.
“I came to Safe Treat for the environment and to see all of my friends and different organizations and to represent the university as a whole throughout the event,” said Alan Remes, a student from the university. “I have not been able to celebrate Halloween in a long time because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but I am glad that everything is starting to get back to normal, and seeing all the little kids out here makes me happy.”
Many students and families were also excited to interact with the University President, Dr. Brandon Kelly, who made a special appearance in light of the celebration and in support of the community.
“I love that this space is so dense because there are so many student organizations out connecting with the community in which we are,” said Kelly. “Sometimes universities kind of put big invisible walls around themselves, and they don’t invite the community in, but here, there is a big kind of special because of the connection we promote at our university.
“I love when our students are doing outreach like that because it creates a sense of purpose that is part of the university experience,” Kelly continued. “I consider this event emblematic of the University of West Georgia and its connection to Carrollton.”
