**Ella-ween Returns for Its Third Annual Celebration Supporting Organ Donation Awareness**
“This is our third annual Ella-ween,” said Sue Morrison-Weir with SODA (Sarnia Organ Donor Association). The event’s namesake, Ella, passed away suddenly in 2022, but her donated organs saved at least two lives.
“Ella really loved Halloween,” Morrison-Weir shared. The child’s mother, Kristen Luckins, connected with SODA and came up with the idea for the event — and thus, Ella-ween was born. Luckins sits on the SODA board and continues to help organize the event, which was held for the first time in 2023.
Leading up to the event, “We have been collecting donated costumes, accessories, and Halloween décor items,” Morrison-Weir said. New Halloween makeup has also been donated. All items will be available for sale at Ella-ween for $10 or less each.
“As much as it’s a fundraiser, Ella-ween is about giving back to the community,” she explained. “Halloween is getting very expensive, including the cost of buying new costumes. We just wanted it to be fun for everyone.”
The event has attracted a few hundred attendees in past years. Fundraising efforts for SODA include proceeds from a 50-50 draw. On the day of the event, there will be Halloween-themed vendors on site, along with film characters in scary costumes, face painting by The Painted Cat, music, and a dance troupe teaching kids some dance moves.
“There is a lot of fun to be had,” Morrison-Weir said.
Donations for Ella-ween are accepted year-round and can still be dropped off in the coming days at several locations, including:
– Lochiel Kiwanis Centre
– Motion on Finch Drive
– The Painted Cat on Christina Street
– Hub Insurance on Exmouth Street
– 1112 Indian Rd. N.
“So far, I would say we have several hundred costumes,” Morrison-Weir noted. “They’re all sorted by size to make it easier for shoppers at Ella-ween.”
Ella-ween also supports important services provided by SODA, such as grief packages for donor families. “We also offer financial aid for people in Lambton County who are experiencing transplantation,” Morrison-Weir said.
Patients traveling to hospitals in Toronto for transplantation sometimes have to live there for several months after surgery and may face travel expenses for medical visits over extended periods. SODA offers financial assistance to help cover these costs.
The organization promotes awareness of organ transplantation and the importance of organ donation. Currently, an average of 1,400 individuals in Ontario are waiting for organ transplants, and 35 percent of the province’s residents are registered donors, according to SODA.
“I like to say we’re talking about life,” said Morrison-Weir. “We’re talking about people who wouldn’t survive without transplantation.”
The non-profit organization is entering its 31st year of operation. For more information, visit [www.sarniaorgandonors.ca](http://www.sarniaorgandonors.ca).
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*For further inquiries, contact Paul Morden at pmorden@postmedia.com or follow @_ObserverPaulM on Twitter.*
https://www.theobserver.ca/news/local-news/sarnias-third-annual-ella-ween-organ-donation-awareness-event-set-for-oct-19
