YMCA Draws 1500 to Spooktacular Halloween Party

Halloween arrived early at the North Suburban YMCA for the Ninth Annual Spooktacular community party on October 23. Over 1500 guests explored the Y's transformed spaces, ranging from kid-friendly bounce houses in the gym to a scream-worthy, haunted boat ride on the indoor pool.

The annual community tradition offered some new twists this year, including an outdoor petting zoo. Families enjoyed the sunny, autumn weather while little ones got acquainted with lambs, goats, chickens, and other farm animals. Inside, youngsters participated in costume contests, collected trick-or-treat candy, and snacked on Halloween-themed goodies and drinks.

"The Halloween Party is always a massive undertaking, made possible by the dedication of our staff, volunteers, and sponsors," noted Kathy Fielding, Vice President of Member Engagement. "Every year is a chance to bring our community together, with a variety of activities to make everyone feel welcome. The hard work is worth it when we see the result."

Sponsors for this year's Spooktacular Halloween Party included Northshore University Health Systems, Buffalo Wild Wings of Northbrook, BankFinancial of Northbrook, Waterway Carwash, Russian School of Mathematics, Arbonne International, Chiro One Wellness Center, Elements Massage, Berkshire Hathaway, Graber Orthodontics, HALO Laser & Aesthetic Medicine, GoGo Squeeze, Home Depot, Dairy Queen of Northbrook, Yummy Dental & Orthodontics, Sunset Foods, Athleta of Northbrook, Kohl Children's Museum, Lekotek Center, Toys "R" Us of Highland Park, and Glenbrook Hospital.

"We are incredibly grateful for our partner agencies and sponsors, who help us give back to the community and bring people to the Y through fun event each year," shared Adrienne Wright, Senior Director of Development. "With their support, this year's event saw a nearly record-breaking number of families take part in the festivities."

Looking past Halloween, the Y is partnering with Graber Orthodontics to offer Operation Gratitude's Halloween Candy Program to the community. Candy dropped off at these locations from November 1-7, 2016 will be sent to U.S. service members deployed overseas.

The North Suburban YMCA, located at 2705 Techny Road in Northbrook, hosts community and family events throughout the year. For more information, visit NSYMCA.org.