This year, we are doing something new. We are partnering with the wonderful nonprofit, Walkin & Rollin Costumes, to design and build Halloween costumes for kids with movement limitations. After all - every kid should be able to get out and enjoy the holidays!

Lon David, founder of Walkin & Rollin Costumes, has been producing amazing costumes for years. He created his first costumes for his own child. When others saw how spectacular they were, they asked him to make more for their kids. Now, he and his crew of volunteers make dozens a year.

Since our kids want cool things too, we decided to join in. And, you’re invited! Designing cool costumes requires all the tech savvy we have. Pack up your tools and join us!

Making costumes also requires something new for us - art skills. We are slightly terrified by the level of cool we have to live up to when looking at Lon’s past work. So, if you are an artist, designer, set builder, costume maker - WE NEED YOU!

What to Expect

This is our maiden voyage in designing and creating Halloween costumes for kids who use wheelchairs and walkers. For that reason, we will start small and build just 2 costumes this year. Our little ones - 2 kids who received cars from us in the past - have requested something Buzz-Lightyear-related and something police-car-related. We will need crews of 10 to 12 people on each team.

When you arrive, you will be assigned to a team. One or more of our experts will guide each team, and Lon Davis and his son (who has become a costume expert over the years) will be on hand to lend their experience and mad art skills. Our goal is to get both costumes as near-done as possible during the Build Event.

Of course, while you are working hard to get our kids racing, we will provide the fuel you need (lunch, drinks and treats) to keep working. (You are welcome, however, to bring your own lunch if you would prefer.) During lunch, we will take some time to get acquainted with and introduce you to our kids - if only virtually.

Bring Your Team

Some folks sign up to volunteer for Geeks for Kids on their own. Others come as a team from their offices, their schools, churches or clubs. Either way, we are thrilled! We think, though, that teams have more fun.

What better way to build your team’s spirit than send them out to work together to improve a kid’s life. Geeks for Kids will get your teams thinking outside the box, working together and striving for the thrill of victory. Sure, the jocks have the Olympics and Corporate Challenge, but your team will build the cool stuff that could one day save the world…or, at least, make a huge difference in kids’ lives.

Tools to Bring

Generally, we have everything we all need to design and build our cars and costumes. There are a few things that you might find helpful to bring, though. These include:

• Your Tool Bag - If you’re more comfortable with your own hand tools, you are very welcome to bring them.
• Your Art Kit - You really don’t have to bring anything. We will buy all the supplies we think we might need. Still, if you have some ultra-special tools or supplies that you enjoy using, Bring them. We don’t know art stuff!
• Your Sewing Machine - We have learned the hard way that many people find it confusing to sew on a machine they have never used before. (In fact, we have 2 dead sewing machines to prove it.) So, if you’d like to join the sewing team, we suggest bringing your own sewing machine. We will have all the thread, Velcro, fabric and other supplies you need.