Organizers say they have pulled out all the stops for the annual Boo with a Badge Wednesday evening, with a teenage magician, "Friday the 13th's" Jason Voorhees of Camp Crystal Lake, and other surprises planned for the event.
"It's become kind of a block party," Hot Springs Police Cpl. Joey Williams, the department's public relations officer, said Thursday of the "completely free" event, set for 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Central Fire Station on Broadway Street.
"We block Broadway from about the Williams Brothers Feed Store up to Olive Street. Every year it gets a little bit bigger because the crowd gets bigger," he said. "Last year we had around 8,000 people. The year before we had 5,000. It's growing by leaps and bounds."
Williams said the police department has teamed up with the Hot Springs Fire Department to host the event for about 10 years, but three years ago they were approached by other agencies who "wanted to get in on it too" and "it just exponentially grew."
Other agencies joining the HSPD and HSFD include LifeNet, the Garland County Sheriff's Department, Arkansas State Police, the U.S. Army, US97, which will provide music, Child Care Aware, Court Appointed Special Advocates, or CASA, Garland County Juvenile Court, Hot Springs Animal Services, the National Park Service, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the Cooper-Anthony Mercy Child Advocacy Center.
"All these different agencies come together and they hand out candy. It's totally free to the community," he said, noting the event is entirely funded by donations of money and candy. "This doesn't cost the taxpayers any money. We're proud of that."
Williams said they received 500 pounds of donated candy Wednesday alone at the police department, noting local businesses, stores and individual citizens "stepped up" to provide the candy or make monetary donations. "We went out (Wednesday) and spent about $2,800 on more candy, in addition to the candy that had been donated."
He said they "almost ran out last year" so they upped the amount they purchased by about $1,200. "We want to make sure everyone gets plenty of candy and has a good, safe time. It's not just about getting candy. We have a lot of activities planned."
He said there will be fire trucks, the police MRAP and K-9 officers, AGFC will be bringing its "fish tank," Officer 1st Class Sam Spencer will be there with his police bicycle "riding around," the fire department's auxiliary wives will have a dunking booth and a 15-year-old magician, Adrian Stillman, a student at Lakeside High School, will be performing 10 minute shows inside the fire station.
"You know, you think about a 15-year-old magician and you're like, 'I don't know.' But he came in the other night and did some magic for us and it was really impressive. He was good. We're excited to have him," Williams said.
A returning special feature will be Holly's Haunted Hallway inside the building, named for Holly Roscoe, who along with her husband, Norman Roscoe, a firefighter, started the spooky feature several years ago. "She passed away from cancer a few years ago and they renamed it Holly's Haunted Hallway in memory of her," he said.
Mr. Scary, a Jason Voorhees impersonator from Benton, will be on hand to put a little fear in everyone, he said. Voorhees was the infamous hockey mask-clad character from the "Friday the 13th" movies.
"This guy is like 6 feet tall," he said. "He does a really good impersonation."
Williams said bringing one's children to Boo with a Badge is "so much safer" than going trick-or-treating in neighborhoods. "We block off the road, shut it down. There are plenty of law enforcement officers around. You don't have to worry. You know where all the candy is coming from, it's all pre-wrapped and packaged.
"You're going to have a good time and a safe time. You get to come and hang out with all your local first responders, you get to meet everybody and see all the different equipment. A lot of people put a lot of energy into it. We get as excited about it as everyone else does."
Local on 10/28/2018