Girls, Inc. issued the following press release about Trunk-or-Treat, a Halloween-themed event that is part of the Lights On Afterschool rallies.

Read all about it in the press release reprinted below:

Marietta, Ga. (October 26, 2021) — On Saturday, October 30, Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta will join the 22^nd annual Lights On Afterschool, a nationwide series of rallies for afterschool programs organized by the Afterschool Alliance. 

The Lights On Afterschool event, to be held outdoors at the Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta Marietta center, will feature a Trunk-or-Treat and Halloween theme with a costume contest, pumpkin decorating, cupcakes, candy, games, raffle, prizes, and more. Volunteers will be decorating their cars and handing out plenty of treats. There will also be resource tables and giveaways. The event is free and open to the public, and parents, families, educators and community members are expected to attend.  

• What: Girls Inc. Trunk-or-Treat Lights On Afterschool Event 
• When: 3:00 – 6:00 PM, Saturday, October 30, 2021 
• Where: Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta, 461 Manget St. SE, Marietta, GA 30060 
  
   

Millions of Americans have participated in Lights On Afterschool events over the years, and thousands of events are in the works this year.  

“During the pandemic, afterschool programs – like the one Girls Inc. offers – have provided invaluable service to children, parents, families, and the broader community,” Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta CEO Tiffany Collie-Bailey said. “We’ve stepped up to help students keep up with their studies, looked out for children’s mental health, made it possible for essential workers to do their jobs confident that their children are in good hands, and connected families to vital social services.” 

Theevents give youth a chance to showcase the skills they learn and talents they develop at their afterschool programs, and to send the message that millions more children and youth need quality afterschool programs. (A growing list of events is available here.) The Afterschool Alliance organizes Lights On Afterschool to underscore the need to invest in afterschool programs, which provide homework help; mentors; healthy snacks and meals; computer programming; opportunities to think critically, collaborate and communicate with peers and adults; job and college readiness; sports and fitness activities; robotics; art, dance and music; and continuous opportunities for hands-on, team-based learning.  

Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta has been offering a safe space for girls in metro Atlanta for 45 years.  It now serves nearly 1,000 girls providing a supportive, pro-girl environment that offers homework assistance, mentoring, STEM activities, arts, literacy, nutrition, mental health, and more. More information is available at girlsincatl.org. 

Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta CEO Tiffany Collie-Bailey is one of just 18 afterschool leaders named this year to serve as an Afterschool Ambassador, chosen by the Afterschool Alliance – a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization working to ensure that all children and youth have access to quality afterschool programs.  

For the 15th consecutive year, the New York skyline will shine for afterschool on October 28 when the iconic Empire State Building is lit in yellow and blue to celebrate Lights On Afterschool. BellXcel, Capital One and Clear Channel Outdoor are generous sponsors of Lights On Afterschool this year.   

About Girls, Inc.

The national organization that later became Girls, Inc., the National Girls Clubs, was founded in 1864 to serve girls and young women who were experiencing upheaval brought on by the Civil War.

Girls Clubs, Inc. of Greater Atlanta was founded in 1974 after a nine-year-old Cobb County girl, Debbie Randall, was found raped and murdered.

Irma Glover and Joyce Dunaway Parker decided that the abduction was in part due to the lack of a safe after-school environment for girls.

They approached the Marietta City Council and the Cobb County Commission to get land to create the Cobb-Marietta Girls Club, which later became Girls, Inc. of Greater Atlanta.