Halloween is one of the most important days of the year for people across the globe. Hanging up decorations, deciding on costumes and going trick-or-treating make for some of the most memorable childhood moments for kids growing up. However, not every child is blessed enough to be able to celebrate the festival fully, and many have to suffice with DIY costumes made of sheets and boxes at times.Texas man Christophe Waggoner had not been able to afford an extravagant costume for Halloween many times during his childhood, and it was one feeling he aimed to save other children from. Thus, a decade ago, he began collecting Halloween costumes for kids who couldn’t afford them. Now, his Austin charity helps thousands celebrate the festivity with joy and creativity, at no cost.According to a report by Woman’s World, Waggoner previously lived in an apartment where he never got visitors on Halloween. When he finally moved to his new neighbourhood in Austin, he was excited to receive trick-or-treaters. As he spent his first Halloween handing out treats, he noticed how some children arrived in simple, homemade costumes and gazed longingly at those with elaborately designed costumes. The incident made him recall his own childhood, when he did not have funds for fancy costumes. As a kid, he remembered wishing for something special to happen to make his dreams true. This is when he came up with the idea: what if all children could celebrate Halloween and wear the costume they really want?Working as a mystery shopper for resale stores, he also found himself in the perfect position to gather up some costumes to give out the following Halloween. In 2017, he officially began October’s Child, where he gathered costumes year-round and hosted a costume giveaway for his community that October.
Inside October’s Child
For the first five years, Waggoner stored costumes, masks and accessories purchased from resale stores and Goodwill in his garage. But as the word of his initiative spread, he had to rent a storage unit to accommodate the increasing flow of costumes donated by individuals and business partners. Soon his first storage unit filled up, and he had to rent a second, third and fourth unit.He would conduct a distribution event once a year in a church or school parking lot or apartment yard and set up tents to display the costumes. Community members would line up to check out the Halloween costumes and decorations, and pick out whatever they wanted.Over the years, Waggoner’s neighbourhood project has blossomed into a lifelong passion, one which has helped him give away close to 8,000 costumes to spread the magic of Halloween among families in need.In 2026, he expects to give away more than 4,000 costumes to kids, adults, babies and even pets. The event will be held in a 7,200-square-foot area in a field next to a school, and as always, the costumes remain completely free.Keri Stern, mother of teens Mia, Izzy and Jesse, has been taking her kids to October’s Child events since it started. From Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to princess costumes, her kids have always found pieces they love. “Nobody leaves with bare bones! If someone wants to be a dragon and Christophe doesn’t have a dragon costume, he will find enough pieces to put together to make a dragon costume,” said Keri. “It’s a lot of work that he puts in. Yet at the end, he downplays how much he’s done. It’s really born out of this love he has to help.”“Seeing all the laughter, smiles, and everybody having a good time makes me emotional,” said Waggoner. “I know this is something they probably couldn’t have done otherwise. It makes me feel so good to help!”
