Sue Sitter/PCT Shannon Bond, Rugby, snaps a picture of her young trick-or-treaters at the Rugby Jaycees’ Annual Trunk or Treat held on Halloween on Main Avenue in Rugby.

An afternoon sky full of dark grey clouds provided the perfect backdrop for the Rugby Jaycees’ Annual Trunk or Treat held on North Main Avenue downtown on Halloween.

Vehicles belonging to local businesses, organizations and churches parked along a section of the street and opened their trunks to offer candy and other goodies to area children. At the end of the section near the railroad tracks, Rugby police and first responders stood by their vehicles and handed out treats to the eager youngsters.

“So far, we’ve been pretty busy,” said Erica Parsons, who stood with fellow employees of Heart of America Correctional and Treatment Center near an SUV. Parsons, Vona Pogatshnik and TJ Haggerty dressed as characters from the underworld. “I’m Hades,” Haggerty said. “We’ve been handing out fruit snacks and comic books,” Pogatshnik, who was dressed as a sorceress said.

Across from the HACTC trunk, First International Bank and Trust employees Lynette Vollmer and Matthias Follman wore their everyday clothes and warm jackets. “We have Smarties, suckers, all the good stuff,” Follman said. A hay bale stood next to their vehicle to provide a background for parents to take photos of their trick-or-treaters.

Next to the hay bale stood Laurie Odden and Ashley Berg, who handed out treats from a car trunk on behalf of the Rugby Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“You guys look nice and cozy,” Odden said to youngsters dressed in fuzzy costumes.

“It’s fun but a little chilly,” Odden said. “It seems like we’re accustomed to the chilly weather by now. I don’t know if we’ve had a trunk out here for a number of years, so for me, it’s kind of new. It’s fun to be out here. There are a lot of kids running through here right now.”

Across the street, an SUV belonging to Rugby’s St. Therese the Little Flower Catholic Church held a display of saints. Reverend John Aerts, associate pastor at Little Flower, stood near the display along with Sister Mary Ruth Huhn and Sister Jean Louise Schafer to give out treats and explain the meaning behind Halloween – All Hallow’s Eve.

“We have all the saints for All Hallow’s Eve,” Huhn said, pointing to small statues representing saints in the Catholic Church.

“All the saints are with us and we honor them,” Schafer said. “We’re hoping to point out to the kids that this is All Hallow’s Eve, which means really honoring the saints, because the Feast of All Saints is tomorrow, November 1st. So, this is another way to bring the message across.”

“We’re here with Father Aerts and Father Miller,” Schafer said. Reverend Frank Miller, Pastor at Little Flower Church, sat inside of the vehicle to warm himself.

On the same side of Main Avenue, Miss Teen Rugby International Ryli Kuhnhenn handed out handed out small, colorful plastic Pop It fidget toys.

“We made Pop Its out of balloons,” Kuhnhenn’s mom, Mandy said.

Dressed in a two-person costume, Sara Radomski moved around awkwardly, handing out treats for Heart of America Medical Center. “I’m a grim reaper who has a person in his arms,” she said with a smile.

Ashley Wangler of the Rugby Jaycees said, “Normally, we do Trunk or Treat during the week when there’s school but this year, we moved it up because it’s a Sunday. This way, the kids can go trick or treating if they’d like to and get to bed early so they can go to school tomorrow.” Wangler stood near the Jaycees’ display with her husband, Brad. Both wore dinosaur costumes.

The Wanglers said they were hoping to see more trick-or-treaters later.

“I think it’s a little chilly, but hopefully, it will get a little busier,” Ashley Wangler said.