Band will open the east parking lots to local families and children for the fifth annual Trunk r Treat event with help from dozens of other student organizations Monday at 6 p.m. Children who attend can pick candy from the trunks of cars while interacting  with students and groups on campus.

“In terms of planning, we send out lots of information to the whole school, to our students, and they create their trunks on their own,” band teacher Zach Anderson said. “We communicate with all of the other organizations on campus in hopes to provide a really cool opportunity for the community in a safe environment.”

The number of organizations participating in Trunk r Treat has increased each year in the tradition that began only with band.

“It’s really cool that something that started off relatively small has been adopted by a lot of other people,” senior Jessica Bemis said. “Every year it seems like we have more people show up, either to get candy or hand it out. Seeing everyone involved — all the different clubs, band, orchestra — in a community event like this is just amazing.”

Each group participating in Trunk r Treat decorates their cars to fit a specific theme, with campus Key Club president Saahithi Joopelli aiming to create a sweet environment.

“Our theme is Candy Land so we had to make decorations over the weekend related to that and we asked our members to bring a bag of candy so we don’t run out,” Joopelli said via text. “We are planning on pulling it all together on Monday and we’re super excited it’s a great opportunity to show school spirit and get in touch with the community.”

Orchestra student officers have spent the last week preparing for the event under officer president Kelly Sun.

“We’ve been planning decorations and had work days every week to make these decorations and encouraging orchestra students to help bring candy,” Sun said. “Orchestra’s theme this year is Carnival, kind of like the Greatest Showman because that’s the theme of our orchestra the year. Kids can expect to see pretty cool decorations that we made including a little tent that we’re gonna put on one of the trunks and have some picture frames for kids take pictures with.”

As hosts of the event, each section of instruments in band decorates their trunk independently, rather than adhering to a common theme.

“[Kids] should definitely check out the trumpet trunk, I won’t spoil the surprise, but I think that the trumpet trunk will be very unique,” Anderson said. “Families can expect not only to see their children have a really great time, they can know when they come and participate in Trunk r Treat, that they are participating in an event that’s a really great safe alternative for going door to door.”

Community is the top priority going into Monday’s event, as Trunk r Treat belongs not solely to the hosts, but to all participants.

“Events like these serve a reminder that all of us, families and participants, live in the same community where we are all there to help each other no matter the things that might separate us,” Khosla said. “Sometimes it’s easy to forget that we are all pretty similar in that, for the most part, we celebrate a lot of the same stuff and have fun doing it.”