Boo Bash brings early Halloween to kids at Shriners Hospital

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - Kids at Shriners Hospital for Children-Twin Cities celebrated Halloween a little early Friday with the 10th annual Boo Bash. 

“We had a bunch of our patients and their friends and family members come in," said Abby Meyer, certified therapeutic recreations specialist at Shriners Hospital. "They were able to shop for costumes and participate in art projects and all sorts of different games, in order to get different accessories and prizes and all sorts of fun stuff." 

The event is put on by Spirit Halloween stores, which raise money for Shriners all year. To date, they've raised almost $275,000. 

“That money goes towards our camps programs and different special events here at the hospital to keep our kids engaged in different things in our community,” Meyer said. 

On Friday, the children were treated to Halloween treats and tricks, including a magic show. For kids who often miss out on Halloween in their neighborhoods, this brings the party to them.  

“The idea is that kids with physical limitations sometimes have a harder time staying involved and doing things like trick or treating," Meyer said. "When you have adaptive equipment like walkers and wheelchairs and braces, there are barriers like steps for trick or treating. And so our kids get to do some of those fun things in the safety of our hospital." 

Shriners treats children with orthopedic conditions like muscle, bone and joint disorders. The Twin Cities clinic sees about 300 children each month.