Become a Halloween Hero for UNICEF

Collecting funds for UNICEF gives young people a chance to make a difference in the lives of other children worldwide who need help.

Family Features - If you participated in trick-or-treat adventures as a child, you're part of a long tradition for millions of children. This year, you can teach your own children or grandchildren what it means to become a Halloween hero for UNICEF.

The program got its start in 1950 when a handful of kids in Philadelphia collected change in milk cartons ($17 that first year) to help children in post-World War II Europe. Over the years, the campaign grew into millions of children bringing little orange boxes with them on Halloween night to collect coins while trick-or-treating.

Generations later, kids have raised nearly $200 million for lifesaving programs for children around the world, providing health care, nutrition, emergency relief, and more.

In honor of its 75th year, a month-long initiative is engaging partners and supporters with multiple options for giving.

"For 75 years, the little orange box has inspired generations to turn Halloween into something bigger," said Shelley Diamond, chief marketing officer, UNICEF USA. "Today, whether through online fundraisers or family-friendly activities, we encourage the young – and the young at heart – to put some meaning in their Halloweening all October long."

Funding makes a meaningful difference in everyday lives. Each $1 donation could provide a school or community with 30 pencils or two bars of soap. Every $5 can provide water for a child for a full year or ensure five more children can be vaccinated against measles. An $8 donation, less than most fast-food meals, could provide a package of 25 diagnostic tests for malaria.

Visit unicefusa.org/TOT75 to learn how you and the impressionable little ones in your life can participate all month long.