TAMPA, Fla. — A group of families in Town ‘n’ Country’s Bay Crest Park neighborhood are going above and beyond to make sure Halloween festivities still happen this year, despite all the hurricane damage.

Bay Crest Park sits just off Memorial Highway on a network of canals that feed into the bay. In the neighborhood’s more than 50-year history, residents say their homes have never flooded until the surge from Hurricane Helene in September. Residents estimate more than 90% of homes in the neighborhood sustained some type of hurricane damage.

What You Need To Know

  • Flagstone Drive in Bay Crest Park neighborhood deemed "designated safe zone"

  • Neighbors pitched in to buy pizza, Kona Ice for neighborhood kids

  • Many homes were flooded in Helene and families haven't been able to move back in yet

  • Trick-or-treaters who live in the neighborhood are invited to join the Halloween night fun 

The Bay Crest Park neighborhood is also the center of trick-or-treating fun each Halloween. Residents Michelle Cuilla and Kristen Follett say they will give out between 500 and 600 pieces of candy every Oct. 31. In order to keep with tradition, the two moms started speaking with other families in the neighborhood to figure out a way to make trick-or-treating safe despite all of the damage and hurricane debris still around the streets.

Flagstone Drive, which sits in the heart of Bay Crest Park, has been deemed the “designated safe zone.” Residents there made sure sidewalks and streets were clear and put up their decorations to prepare for trick-or-treaters. Kids planning to dress up and trick-or-treat are asked to head to that street in order to do so safely.

“I think this year is going to be a bit more special because most of the children have been moved from their homes,” Cuilla said. “They’re being moved from an Airbnb to a hotel and they’re not seeing their community friends.”

To make the night even more special, Cuilla decided to pitch in with a group of neighbors and buy pizzas. Follett and her family rented a Kona Ice truck that will be parked on the street for the evening, so kids can enjoy.

“Hopefully it gives them a boost of happiness and confidence to just come out here and have a good time, even if it’s just for the one night,” Follett said.

While Bay Crest Park is getting cleaner each week, Cuilla and Follett say many areas are still littered with debris and nails. They’re asking kids stay safe and stick to the “designated safe area” for their Halloween fun. They ask that only the kids who live or normally trick-or-treat with their friends in the Bay Crest Park neighborhood attend, so the street doesn’t get too overwhelmed.