VOLUNTEERS from Rogers will be on patrol watching out for little trick-or-treaters tonight. (Courtesy Rogers)

Dozens of red Rogers vans will fan across the city tonight to keep watch over little boils and ghouls as they haunt the streets to scare up Halloween treats.

The 24th annual Rogers Pumpkin Patrol is set to roll tonight from 5:30 to 8:30. Forty-eight of the familiar red vans, easily recognizable by large Pumpkin Patrol decals affixed to their sides, will patrol York Region’s roads with windows down and two staff members inside ready to help where needed.

“We actually work with police so that if we discover an incident, we’re one of the first ones to send a 911 call for you,” said Tina Murphy, community relations manager at Rogers.

When the Pumpkin Patrol began nearly a quarter century ago, it was entirely employee driven. That hasn’t changed.

“Nobody gets a penny for being out there on Halloween night,” Murphy said. “Everybody volunteers their time, they come in, they make sure that the vans are ready to go and it’s just great.”

As in years past, Rogers teamed with York police to help spread the word on Halloween safety to grade 2s before the first candy drops into the first empty pillowcase tonight.

The Pumpkin Patrol has visited more than 30 classrooms and delivered nearly 25,000 loot bags, reflective armbands included, to kids across the region in recent weeks, Murphy said.

“It’s such a great way to showcase our commitment to the communities we serve,” she said.

Vaughan Today
In print: October 31, 2008, page 2
Online: October 31, 2008 [link]