The Halloween tradition of going door-to-door with little orange collection boxes — one that’s synonymous with UNICEF — is no longer, but that won’t stop local kids from collecting money for a good cause this season.
For the past four years, the campaign has focused on kids collecting pledges from family, friends and neighbours, as well as an online component that allows people to sponsor them electronically.
In its 54th year, the Trick or Treat for UNICEF campaign is expected to reach the $100-million mark in Canada, said Cathy Memah with UNICEF in Ontario.
In Ottawa, thousands of participants brought in $85,000 last year, Memah said.
The campaign supports Schools for Africa, which funds education development in Malawi and Rwanda with projects ranging “from building school structures to providing learning materials to working with the ministry of education to develop curriculum to building new bathrooms,” said Memah. “That’s one of the barriers for girls going to school.”
UNICEF volunteers will also be collecting funds in the ByWard Market this weekend from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on National UNICEF Day on Saturday.
