While most kids were thinking of sweets, dressing in scary costumes and ringing on doorbells, dozens of Pathfinders, Adventurers, and Eager Beavers from the Kailua Church donned distinguished uniforms and gathered nonperishable foodstuffs for the needy in Hawaii.

It was Friday night, Oct. 31, and all was dark and quiet except for the telling footsteps of the children. On this most controversial of holidays, these young people decided to “take back the night” by redeeming what would otherwise be a collection of candy for themselves into a collection of canned goods for others.

“We wanted to remind people that Jesus is more powerful than the made up ghosts and witches of Halloween,” said one Adventurer. “We wanted to have fun, but to do something nice, something that Jesus would do.”

Halloween's origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in what is now the United Kingdom, celebrated their New Year’s Day on November 1. This day commenced the new season of winter, a time of year that was often associated with the falling of leaves, the covering and dying of the grass and with human death.

These pagans believed that on the night before the new year, the border between the worlds of the living and the dead became unclear. And so on the night of Oct. 31, they celebrated what they called Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth to communicate with the living.

Of course the bright and Sabbath school educated Adventist young people know the errors of the pagans. And so they used this time to educate others about the truths of Jesus’ love for all and to demonstrate that loving Jesus leads us to love and help others.

In all, the 35 young people walked several neighborhoods and collected 650 individual food items, which filled a half-dozen large cardboard boxes. They donated the food to the Mary Jane Center, a charitable, non-profit program for unwed mothers.

“It was a great witness to be out doing canned good collecting in the midst of the ‘trick or treating.’ Our young people walked amongst the costumed ghosts, goblins and ghouls having just as much if not more fun,” said David Earles, a Kailua Adventurer parent. “The neighbors knew we were coming, because we let them know in advance, yet they were still somewhat caught off guard, pleasantly so, to see our well-dressed young people doing community service like this on Halloween.”

By David A. Pendleton