On Friday, Nov. 1, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School’s Student Government Association members volunteered at Eagle Ridge Elementary, a nearby school in Coral Springs.

At Eagle Ridge, the theme was “Hotel Transylvania” and SGA helped set up games, posters, food stands, arts and crafts and several displays that showcased aspects of the movie.

This was SGA’s second year volunteering and setting up for Eagle Ridge’s Halloween party. However, unlike last year, SGA  added much more to the festivities and experience.

“We added a bunch of games based on the movie [Hotel Transylvania] and wanted to get the community involved,” SGA President Issac Christian said. “We found a DJ, we set up a ball pit and got a face-painter all to help these kids feel the Halloween.”

After the Stoneman Douglas PTA assigned the Hotel Transylvania theme to the group, SGA adviser Danielle Driscoll and her students worked diligently to create designs and develop a plan for the party.

“For two weeks we were setting this up in class, giving ideas and making designs,” freshman Blake Handfinger said. 

After a delay due to rain, the party started at 6 p.m., with around 150 children and parents filling up the campus by the end of the night. 

Journeying through ball throwing stands to face-painting and eventually to the main dance floor, the Eagle Ridge students and their parents were led and assisted by MSD students, who were stationed at several different areas throughout the school. From 3 p.m. until cleanup at 9 p.m., SGA students were at the elementary school in three shifts, with about 35 students in each.

“This is really important for me,” Driscoll said. “It’s a great give and take with the younger and older kids. It’s great to see them interact with one another.”

Eagle Ridge students danced around in their costumes for hours on end, giving them a second chance to celebrate Halloween.