LACKAWANNA, N.Y. (WKBW) — Picking out a Halloween costume can be exciting — but it can also be pricey. The Lackawanna Public Library hosted a costume drive on Saturday to help cut down October costs.
Halloween-lovers were able to donate their old costumes to the library, while also picking up a costume for this year's festivities.
"I actually have quite a few totes of Halloween costumes, but they're [my kids are] growing, so we need something new every year," Rachael Simon, mother of four, said. "They don't like to wear the same thing more than once, so we're always looking for new costumes."
According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are expected to spend $12 billion on Halloween this year.
"Costumes can be an arm and a leg," Andrea Haxton, Lackawanna Public Library trustee, said. "This concept is just helping out people who maybe couldn't afford one, would stay home or not go to some party — it's just a wonderful thing that's helping our community."
Some neighbors stopped by to simply drop off costumes.
"I have costumes at home for the kids, and they love to play dress up, but they outgrow them, and it's so expensive," Sherri Zydel, who stopped by the library to donate, said. "I decided to pack up all of the costumes that we had. We brought about eight costumes and donated them."
Many spoke of the sense of community created through the drive.
"We are one team here in Lackawanna," Haxton said. "We're proud Lackawannians, and it's just a fun thing for everybody."
The drive offered costumes for any age, along with accessories and Jack O'Lantern buckets.
"There's really no reason to get everything brand new all the time when you can depend on programs like this and make friends along the way," Simon said. "It's really important to have places like this [the library], and we appreciate them so much."
