MCC’s Candy Cruise draws large crowd to campus
Published 2:08 pm Thursday, October 31, 2024
Memphis Blackwell, dressed as Ariel from “The Little Mermaid,” poses next to an oversized skeleton decoration at the Radiologic Technology tent at Candy Cruise Tuesday night at Meridian Community College. Photo by Glenda Sanders
Phoenix Wallace strikes a Minnie Mouse pose as she makes her way around the track at Candy Cruise Tuesday night at Meridian Community College. Photo by Glenda Sanders
Madelyn Davis poses for a photo as she makes her way around the track at Candy Cruise Tuesday night at Meridian Community College. Photo by Glenda Sanders
Nancy Waltmon, from left, Mikey Soper, Jaxon Soper and James Williams make their way around the track at Candy Cruise Tuesday at Meridian Community College. Photo by Glenda Sanders
Aaliyah Larry, right, and Kylo Hulin make their way around the track at Candy Cruise Tuesday at Meridian Community College. Photo by Glenda Sanders
Meridian Community College’s Workforce Development team was out of this world as they passed out candy to trick-or-treaters at Candy Cruise Tuesday at Meridian Community College. Photo by Glenda Sanders
Meridian Community College’s Ivy League Recruiters dress in Dr. Seuss characters to pass out treats to children at Candy Cruise Tuesday at Meridian Community College. Photo by Glenda Sanders
Joshua Prather, from left, as rock, Veronica Newell as paper and RJ Nealy as scissors at Candy Cruise Tuesday at Meridian Community College. Photo by Glenda Sanders
Gisele Trussell dressed as a Squishmallow as she made her way around the track at Candy Cruise Tuesday at Meridian Community College. Photo by Glenda Sanders
Mallory Hardy, right, of Meridian Community College’s Workforce Development poses for a photo with Brenna McCary, dressed as Wednesday from “The Addams Family,” at Candy Cruise Tuesday at Meridian Community College. Photo by Glenda Sanders
Ashlee Dean and her daughter Brooklyn Dean make their way around the track at Candy Cruise Tuesday at Meridian Community College. Photo by Glenda Sanders
Sawyer Collins, dressed as Pebbles from “The Flintstones,” makes her way around the track at Candy Cruise Tuesday at Meridian Community College. Photo by Glenda Sanders
More than 2,400 children, parents, grandparents and Meridian Community College staff and students turned out Tuesday evening for the college’s annual Candy Cruise, held along the campus track surrounding the C.D. Smith Soccer Field.
In what has become a popular, family friendly event, Candy Cruise is hosted by the bookstore and sponsored by the MCC Foundation.
Late Tuesday afternoon, teams from various campus programs and student organizations set up booths along the track and offered participants candy and treats, beginning at 5 p.m for guests with special needs then opening to the general public at 5:30 p.m. Some even offered activities, such as the men’s basketball team giving trick-or-treaters the chance to make a basket at their Hoop Dreams tent.
Many of the teams were dressed in costume and stationed under tents with creative themes, including “The Magic School Bus,” the World of Lego, the Minions, Dr. Seuss characters with “Oh the Places You’ll Go,” mad scientists, Disney characters, Noah’s Ark and more. MCC’s dental hygiene students dressed as tooth fairies and passed out toothbrushes and toothpaste at the final tent.
MCC first introduced Candy Cruise in 2020 as a drive-through event during the COVID-19 pandemic, hoping to provide the community’s youngsters with a way to trick-or-treat while keeping a safe distance. That first event drew hundreds of cars and more than 1,000 participants. Since then, the college has turned Candy Cruise into an in-person community celebration at the MCC Track.
