November 13, 2012 > Halloween costume give-away Halloween costume give-away Submitted By Sgt. Eric Krimm Hayward Police Department (PD) provided more than 300 kids with Halloween costumes on October 29, 2012. This was the second annual Halloween Costume Giveaway for which Hayward police officers collected and distributed Halloween costumes to children, aged five to 12, who attend one of five Hayward elementary schools and who might not otherwise have had something special to wear on Halloween night. The costumes were presented to the children at City Hall on Monday afternoon. This year, Hayward PD joined forces with more than 20 Downtown businesses that distributed candy. Parents were given a list of businesses where they could collect candy until 6 p.m. According to Hayward PD's Lt. Dave Lundgren, Officer Jewel Smith has led this endeavor for the last two years after learning that a number of children in Hayward did not participate in Halloween activities at their school or on Halloween night because their family could not afford a costume. With the assistance of Hayward community leader Edward Montgomery and Hayward Police Community Service Officer James Alejo, Hayward PD received numerous donations from Party City and Wal-Mart in Union City and from Target, Costco, American Licorice Company and Annabelle candy, all from Hayward. The Hayward Police Officers' Association and the Bay Area Chapter of the California Narcotic Officers' Association also donated the funds to purchase the costumes for the children. Lt. Lundgren thanks the community for their generous donations.