The Columbus School Foundation is gathering Halloween costumes during October to give school workers and teachers from El Centro de Desarrollo Infantil the opportunity to dress up and celebrate the holiday with style. 

Maintenance, cafeteria, and security staff have the opportunity to pick costumes for their family free of charge. This is a great economic help and support for those who have less resources or that find it harder to buy a costume for their children.

“The school’s foundation has given us the opportunity to borrow costumes for our children, nieces and nephews, among others, throughout the years,” Julieth Ruiz, TCS maintenance worker, said.

These costumes are not only for school staff and their families, but also for the kids outside of the school community. Teachers from El Centro de Desarrollo Infantil come every year to collect around 70 costumes for their kids to wear on the holiday.

“The first people to choose a costume are the teachers from Tejiendo Sueños Las Palmas,” Mary Luz Mesa, TCS Foundation Coordinator said. “They take around 70 costumes for the children, afterwards maintenance, security and cafeteria staff take costumes from the project.”

Amalia Velez, 11th grade TCS student, has been involved in the project for several years. Many students begin helping the foundation to complete their mandatory social service hours requirements. However, after students accumulate those hours, they stay and continue to serve the foundation just for the satisfaction of making someone else’s life better. 

“I feel that every time I go to the foundation I don’t waste my time and use it wisely because we are very privileged people and we have to help others and give more that what we receive,” Velez said.

Students can stay during Polideportivo to help the foundation organize and classify costumes and many take additional opportunity to collect community service hours, help the TCS community and other area schools. 

“This year our main goal or objective for the Foundation is that every TCS student  participate at least one time in one of the projects the Foundation promotes,” Mesa said.