A Season of Spooky Fun at Shriners Children's Chicago

For patients, families and staff at Shriners Children's Chicago, Halloween is more than just a holiday. Throughout October, the hospital comes alive with festive activities designed to bring joy and create memorable experiences for children of all abilities. From costumes and crafts to decorated pumpkins and trick-or-treating, the month offers opportunities for the hospital community to celebrate the season together.

Many of the festivities are made possible through Shriners Children's longstanding partnership with Spirit Halloween. Planning begins well before October, as teams from philanthropy, marketing and communications, and recreational therapy, child life and volunteer services work together to prepare for a month of fun. Through Spirit Halloween's Spirit of Children program, Shriners Children's Chicago has received more than $1.4 million to support child life programming, making it the leading fundraiser among Shriners Children's locations. The partnership helps provide experiences that bring comfort, distraction and joy to patients throughout the year.

One of the most anticipated events each October is the Spirit Halloween Costume Pop-Up Shop and Halloween party. Spirit Halloween team members transform part of the hospital into a costume shop where families can select costumes at no cost. Children enjoy browsing costume racks in a familiar environment, while others participate in pumpkin painting, crafts and seasonal activities. This year's event drew a record number of participants, with more than 100 RSVPs.

"Working with Spirit Halloween is incredibly meaningful because their mission aligns with Shriners Children's," Jamie Scholl, CCLS, certified child life specialist at Shriners Children's Chicago, said. "Just as our child life and care teams help make medical experiences less scary for children, Spirit Halloween's Spirit of Children program helps make Halloween accessible, fun and less intimidating. Their staff is wonderful to work with, and their support helps create memorable experiences for our patients and families."