UTM Red Cross, an organization that raises funds and generates awareness for those in need, held a Halloween fundraiser to support child soldiers in war-ridden areas of the world. Tables were set up around campus featuring games for $1. Games included a round of darts and a special game of trick-or-treat where overturned cups contained prizes.
Prizes included Halloween Pub tickets; the chance of winning a ticket was 1 in 20. The price of a pub ticket at the Infobooth was $10 and $15 at the door. All pub tickets had been won by October 27, and the remainder of prizes included Halloween candy grams. Students could choose to play a game or simple donate $1 and receive a candy gram.
“For the Halloween week, we capitalized on the interest in getting Halloween pub tickets,” said John Philip Khalil and Joe Soliman, UTM Red Cross executives. “Students who were not able to get their tickets before they were sold out from the info booth at the Student Centre had the opportunity to win a ticket while donating money to the ‘even wars have limits’ campaign—specifically to child soldiers in war-ridden areas who can’t enjoy Halloween like children their age worldwide.”
The “Even War Has Limits” campaign was started in 2002 by the Canadian Red Cross in order to make people aware of the realities of war and its effects on children.
“Children are the primary victims of armed conflict because war affects the very foundation of their lives. As child soldiers, they often find themselves the unwilling participants in these conflicts,” said Susan Johnson, Canadian Red Cross’s national director of international programs, in a statement to the Red Cross. “Since 1990, an average of 548 children have died each day because of war and 300,000 youth under the age of 16 must fight as members of the armed forces.”
The Red Cross is currently present in 60 war-ridden countries and has many programs that aid children affected by war. A tracing program works to reunite children and their families who have been affected by war. The Red Cross ensures that youth held in prisons are treated humanely and that children receive help for the psychological effects of war.
“The UTM Red Cross club is very excited to keep organizing events throughout the year that would raise awareness, provide support to the community, and, most importantly, be fun for everyone,” stated Khalil and Soliman.
