By Megan V. Williams
Wilmington, NC – Burgaw's Trunk-O-Treat is back from the dead.
After nearly burying the community Halloween celebration for lack of volunteers, town leaders say the good times are back on.
The tradition started three years ago, when Burgaw invited safety-minded parents to its town square so their children could trick or treat from pre-screened do-gooders parked near the county courthouse.
Instead of waiting by their doorbells, people hand out candy and treats from the trunks of their cars.
Since then, the event has grown to include bouncy toys, a costume contest, and, according to mayor Pete Cowan,nearly as many children as Burgaw has residents.
"All in all, it's really a fun event," Cowan says, "when you see three or four thousand kids out on the square trick or treating."
But with so many people attending, city leaders say they need at least 50 volunteers to keep things running smoothly. This year, when only a dozen had signed up by early October, Cowan says they were forced to cancel Trunk-O-Treat.
Cowan says the city simply doesn't have the personnel to handle the numbers of children expected to attend.
"Trying to manage and control them and make sure that we maintain a safe environment, and a fun environment, for them, it takes a lot of volunteers, a lot of adult volunteers."
Less than a week after the announcement however, Laney Real Estate stepped in to ensure enough volunteers, and officials now say tonight's Trunk-O-Treat should go off as planned.
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