In the midst of the Halloween season, the spirit of giving can seem a long way off – but for International Thespian Society Troupe 4088, it’s already in the air.

  The annual Trick or Treat so Kids Can Eat fundraiser is right around the corner, and the call to action is coming now. Senior and ITS President Maggie Kaliszak describes the process as a charitable substitute for trick-or-treating.

  “Every year, we have a TOTS drive on Halloween,” said Kalizask. “…so we’ll hand out flyers, and we’ll let people in our neighborhoods know that we’re doing this food drive, and then on Halloween night we’ll collect food instead of candy like every other little kid would.”

  TOTS, a nationwide initiative started by the International Thespian Society as a whole, involves collecting cans full of nonperishable food items, according to troupe sponsor and theatre director Will Jenkins.

“TOTS is a cause that is wholly a thespian thing,” said Jenkins. “It was created by the national ITS office, and it supports local troupes’ communities.”

  “[The average person] can get some cans together….that aren’t perishable and have them ready on Halloween for when we come around to collect them,” Whitesell said. “…we go and we hang [up door-hangers]…that [let] people know that we’re planning on coming and collecting, and then…on Halloween night, we go around collecting the cans and we then…deliver them.”

  Kaliszak is sure that the stars will align this Halloween to ensure the drive’s success.

  “I think we can probably expect a good amount of cans because we have a good amount of people in ITS this year, and if we get everyone to participate in it, then we’ll be able to donate a lot,” said Kaliszak.

  The fundraiser might end as November begins, but this is by no means the only thing on the theatre’s plate for this fall – this season may end up being one of the busiest yet.

  “The Crucible opens on November 20th, State festival is in December, along with auditions for Pippin, which promises to be the most interesting musical we’ve done in a long time,” said Jenkins.

  For now, the troupe must focus on its can drive: anyone can donate by getting in contact with a member of ITS Troupe 4088 or simply by giving directly to a food bank as the candied gluttony of Halloween looms ahead.