Ahead of Halloween, the Boluskys gather their unused costumes and encourage others to give them away.
Trick-or-treating on Halloween is a rite of passage for every suburban kid, but when parents can’t afford a costume, that’s where this Oklahoma family steps in.
The Boluskys, of Tulsa, invite neighborhood kids to visit their costume closet ahead of Halloween to pick out their free seasonal ensemble.
Since starting their community giveaway efforts, mom Emily Bolusky estimates they have donated at least 150 costumes each year.
“The appreciation and surprise that the children and parents displayed for this gesture was truly moving,” Bolusky told InsideEdition.com.
She explained Halloween is one of their favorite holidays in their neighborhood.
“All of the neighbors create elaborate and spooky Halloween displays and have porch parties as they pass out candy,” Bolusky said. “It is one of the few holidays where all children are equal. A child, for one night, can be whatever he or she wants to be, whether it is a baseball player, a princess, a hero or a unicorn.”
But her heart breaks every year when some kids show up to her door without costumes. “These children lose out on the complete Halloween experience and are reminded once again in their lives that the world is not equal,” Bolusky said.
Three Halloweens ago, when a trick-or-treater wearing regular clothes showed up at their door, Bolusky said she watched her two young daughters Conley and Campbell run up to their play room, grab a costume they were no longer using, and give it to girl at their door.
Inspired by her daughters’ generosity, Bolusky said she decided to ask them to collect some costumes and props ahead of the holiday the following year. She then encouraged her friends to do the same.
Under the organizational efforts of their close friend Myriam Rix, whom Conley and Campbell affectionately nicknamed Myriam Poppins after Mary Poppins, the family was able to set up a tent outside their home with donated costumes hung up so visiting kids can try on their new garments and wear them trick-or-treating the rest of the night.
“It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, as long as you show up to someone’s door, every child will get the same reward and have the same fun,” Bolusky said.
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