George Mark Children’s House was packed with excitement, laughter, and more than a few familiar characters on Saturday, October 24, as our annual Pumpkin Day welcomed its biggest crowd yet!
More than 60 George Mark families, including upwards of 120 children, joined us for this beloved October tradition. With volunteers, community partners, and special guests added to the mix, more than 300 people filled our San Leandro campus for our biggest family event of the year.
And what a celebration it was!
A Campus Full of Characters and Surprises
Everywhere you turned, there was someone (or something!) to meet.
Our young guests enjoyed meeting a trio of princesses, a pair of Star Wars droids, a lineup of costumed superheroes, and Pokémon favorites Pikachu, Eevee, and Gengar. A giant teddy bear joined the fun, while the San Francisco Giants’ beloved mascot, Lou Seal, arrived sporting his special Halloween bat gear.
Back by popular demand was the Jurassic Park Jeep, accompanied by a remarkably lifelike baby raptor puppet and an animatronic baby Triceratops. The prehistoric visitors attracted plenty of curious children eager for a closer look.
There were also some real-life animal encounters! Our friends from SonRise brought an adorable miniature horse to meet the families, while two therapy dogs, dressed in their Halloween finest, happily soaked up the attention.
Creativity, Costumes, and Plenty of Treats
The fun extended well beyond the character encounters.
Our talented friends from Pixar returned to put their artistic skills to work, creating custom character drawings based on requests from our young guests. Face painting, pumpkin decorating, arts and crafts, and a photo booth kept families busy throughout the afternoon.
Children also had the opportunity to take home their very own Build-A-Bear stuffed animals, along with free Halloween costumes generously provided by our longtime friends at Spirit Halloween.
And with so much excitement around campus, everyone was bound to work up an appetite! Our friends at The City Eats and Señor Sisig made sure families and guests were well fed with a delicious lunch.
Eleven Stops of Trick-or-Treat Fun!
Of course, no George Mark Pumpkin Day would be complete without our grand trick-or-treat parade!
To cap off the afternoon, children and their families made their way through 11 trick-or-treat stations spread across the campus. Each stop offered each participant another opportunity to fill their bags with goodies and some pretty impressive giveaways.
By the end of the parade, there were plenty of happy trick-or-treaters carrying bags filled to the brim!
A Big Thank You to Our Community!
To all our George Mark families who joined us for Pumpkin Day, thank you for spending the afternoon with us! It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces, welcome new ones, and celebrate this beloved October tradition together.
A very special shout-out goes to our incredible community of supporters, partners, staff, and volunteers who generously shared their time, talents, and resources to make this year’s celebration possible. From the smallest details to the biggest attractions, your contributions helped create a fun and memorable day for the children and families we serve.
With heartfelt thanks to:
Alamo Women’s Club • Bay Area Droid Builders • Beyond House • Build-A-Bear • Children’s Health Guild • Chronicle Books • The City Eats • Create for Kids • Edwin Galarza • Endor Base • FedEx • Golden Gate Garrison • Kids & Art Foundation • Lucasfilm • My Once Upon a Time Entertainment • Pixar Animation Studios • Sam Simbulan • San Francisco Giants • Señor Sisig • SonRise Equestrian Foundation • Spirit Halloween • West Coast Avengers • Wolves of Mandalore • 3007 Films
