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SHERMAN -- The Austin College chapter of Alpha Phi Omega national service fraternity will host the fifth annual “Great ’Roo Boo” for area children Sunday, Oct. 31, from 6 to 8 p.m. on Windsor Mall, the main walkway of campus, 900 N. Grand Ave., Sherman. In case of rain, the event will be held in Sid Richardson Center of the Robert T. Mason Athletic-Recreation Complex, near the west end of campus. Children 12 years old and under may attend and should be accompanied by an adult family member. There is no charge for ’Roo Boo activities.
Austin College Police will patrol the event.
The event, established as a safe alternative to trick-or-treating, will include booths hosted by more than 30 Austin College student organizations. Face painting, fortune telling, and other carnival booths, as well as games, prizes, candy, and a bounce house will be available to young guests. Children are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes and join in the fun, said 2004 coordinator Melissa Albers, a senior from Alma, Arkansas. More than 700 children and parents attended last year’s event.
A number of local businesses make donations of candy, prizes, and other support for the Austin College event. Among the major donors this year are American Bank of Texas, ARAMARK Catering Service, Bank One, Cheddar’s Casual Café, Chick-Fil-A - Sherman Town Center, Jack in the Box, Joe’s Massage, Johnny Carino’s Restaurant, Office Depot, Quizno’s Classic Subs, Roy and Helen Renfro, and Tia’s Tex Mex Restaurant.
The Austin College chapter of Alpha Phi Omega was founded in 1970. The national co-educational service fraternity is dedicated to serving schools, communities, and the nation through fellowship, leadership development, and service to humanity.
Austin College, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA), is an independent, liberal arts college located 60 miles north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas. Chartered in November 1849, it is the oldest college in Texas under original charter and name as recognized by the State Historical Survey Committee.
U.S. News & World Report ranked Austin College among the top 100 colleges in the category of "Best Liberal Arts Colleges" for 2005. Austin College also ranked among the "Best 357 Colleges" in the 2005 Princeton Review, was profiled in Loren Pope's Colleges That Change Lives, and was profiled in the 2005 edition of Kaplan's Insiders Guide to the 331 Most Interesting Colleges.
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