This Halloween your family can help sick children across Ireland

Halloween is still a few weeks away but there’s already a very good reason to start planning your family’s spookiest celebrations yet. Children’s Health Foundation has just launched its annual Trick or Treat for Sick Children campaign, and this year it’s calling on families, schools, crèches, workplaces and communities all across Ireland to get involved.

The campaign was launched at Today FM studios by 11-year-old CHI at Crumlin patient Alice Elliot, alongside Today FM broadcaster Alison Curtis. Between Alice in her brilliant purple Halloween costume and Alison in full campaign spirit, the launch photos alone are enough to get you reaching for the fake cobwebs.

A campaign with 26 years of heart behind it

Now in its 26th year, Trick or Treat for Sick Children has raised more than €5 million for children’s hospitals across Ireland. That money has funded some genuinely incredible projects — things like Teen Nights at CHI at Crumlin, where adolescent patients get the chance to build friendships and feel something close to normal during what can be very long hospital stays. More than 20 Teen Nights have already taken place in 2026 alone, giving over 100 young patients that vital breathing space. It’s the kind of thing you don’t think about until you need it, and then it means everything.

Funds raised also support Healthcare Play Services across all four Children’s Health Ireland sites — covering CHI at Crumlin, Temple Street, Tallaght and Connolly. In 2026, more than 14,000 play interventions have been delivered, from medical play equipment to distraction resources that help Health Play Specialists support children through difficult procedures. If you’ve ever sat with a small person who was terrified of a needle or a scan, you’ll understand exactly how much that kind of support matters.

Alice

Alice’s story will stop you in your tracks

Alice has been living with Crohn’s disease since she was three and a half years old. She receives infliximab infusions every five weeks at CHI at Crumlin — and yet she swims, plays tennis and dances hip-hop. Her mum Yvonne puts it simply: “Alice has completely accepted that Crohn’s is part of her life and continues to get on with being a happy, active child.”

As a mum, reading that hits differently. The resilience of children, and the sheer quiet strength of the parents walking that road alongside them, is something most of us can’t fully imagine — until we’re in it. Alice’s involvement in this campaign is a reminder of why fundraisers like this one matter so much beyond the fancy dress and the toffee apples.

Alice and Alison Curtis

How your family can get involved this Halloween

The good news is that taking part couldn’t be easier, and it’s a lovely way to give Halloween a bit more meaning this year. Trick or Treat for Sick Children will run from Friday 23 October right through to Halloween, and you can host pretty much any kind of event you like — a party at home, a spooky dress-up day at school or crèche, a Halloween-themed bake sale at work, or something for your local community group or sports club.

Once you register, you’ll get access to a Trick or Treat supporter kit packed with posters, stickers, decorations, games and everything else you need to make your fundraiser feel properly Halloween-ready. Honestly, with mid-term coming up and the kids already buzzing about costumes, it’s a nice way to channel all that energy into something that genuinely helps other children.

Jessica O’Leary, Head of Fundraising at Children’s Health Foundation, said: “For sick children and their families facing time in hospital, the right care and support can make a huge difference. Funds raised through Trick or Treat help Children’s Health Foundation support the vital work taking place across Children’s Health Ireland hospitals, from groundbreaking research and therapeutic and play initiatives to supports that help children and families through their hospital journey. We hope people across Ireland will join us this Halloween and turn their celebrations into something that can make a lasting difference for children like Alice.”

To sign up, access the supporter kit and start planning your Halloween fundraiser, visit www.childrenshealth.ie/trickortreat.