Halloween fun with Mark’s ‘Truck & Treat’ city tour
A teacher hopes to delight children across Sunderland th i s H a l l owe e n wh e n h e tours the streets in a spooky truck loaded with sweets.
Mark Foster, 40, is getting set to drive a truck decorated for Halloween around the streets of Sunderland and Seaham on tomorrow, in a bid to bring smiles to the faces of youngsters unable to go trick or treating under lockdown restrictions.
The dad-of-three l au n c h e d th e “Tr uc k & Treat” event on Facebook last week in a bid to see who would be interested and has since been inundated with requests from families keen for some Halloween excitement to come to their street.
Joined by a few dressedup volunteers, Mr Foster plans to visit about 30 streets across Wearside from 5pm o nwa rd s t h i s H a l l o w e e n handing out sweets sealed in packets – from a safe distance – to youngsters who are accompanied by parents.
Children will also be able to have a socially-distanced photograph taken with the truck’s spooky crew at each stop.
A rea s i n c lud e d o n th e route are Silksworth, Ryhope, East Herrington, Doxford, Tunstall, Farrington and Hill Farm.
A full risk assessment will be carried out in conjunction with Sunderland City Council and Northumbria Police ahead of the tour, with all involved in the visits already being fully DBS checked.
The truck team will follow
COVID-19 safety guidance by wearing masks under their costume masks and will be sanitising throughout the evening.
The street visits are free, but the event aims to raise funds for Wearside Women in Need and Sunderland Food Bank by way of a bucket collection.
Mr Foster said: “I came up with the idea when I was at the gym on Saturday morning and said to my wife that I thought it would be a good thing to do because there is
no trick or treating this year. be disappointed their child
"It will be a way of keeping can’t join in with the usual the love of Halloween going. celebrations this year, as a
“I put a post on Facebook re su l t o f th e c o ro n av i r u s [about it] and by Monday pandemic. morning I had to stop taking He hopes that the visits requests for the streets. will still allow children and "It just snowballed! families to make some Hal"I’m really excited about loween memories together. it, I just want to see the kids The dedicated teacher is happy.” also encouraging others to
Mr Foster said it would do the same in other areas as be the first Halloween that long as they conduct a risk ashis three-year-old daughter sessment with police and the is likely to remember and local authority. knows that families of youngMr Foster added: “There’s sters of a similar age will also massive demand if anyone else would want to do the same thing – any decorated car and some costumes would make the kids’ nights.
"Kids will remember the time when a creepy vehicle came into their street.
"We hope that they will love it.”
Full route information will be announced in the coming days on the “Truck & Treat” Facebook page.
To donate to the chosen charities visit: https://www. gofundme.com/f/truck-andtreat