The Fall Harvest Festival holds its first Witches Walk

Today the Fall Harvest Festival had its first Witches Walk. Held at the American West Heritage Center, the event helped create awareness for breast cancer. For the walk, participants dressed up in witch costumes and walked around the festival. Afterwards there was a witch pageant where those who dressed up could receive various awards such as best cackle or best broom.

The main focus of the walk was the service project. Volunteers helped send off comfort kits to breast cancer patients. They put in various items such as headrests, essential oils and socks to provide comfort to the recipient. There was a station where volunteers could write a personal note and put it in a box.

"We're selling shirts to help fund it," said Kelvin Finley, a volunteer who works in the marketing group for Malouf.

Malouf is a business that mainly sells pillows and bedding but also sends comfort kits to breast cancer patients. It went to several businesses, asking for item donations to put in around 1,500 comfort kits that will be sent to breast cancer patients.

"There were a bunch of companies that pitched in," Finley said. "We're kind of the orchestrators and there's a lot of people helping out."

The idea for the walk came from something already in place.

"We used to do what was called, What a Witch Wants, that was in downtown Logan," said Denise Lindsey, a volunteer who helped set up the festival. "The historical center approached me about combining it with their Fall Festival. One of the things I had wanted to do was a witches walk."

Lindsey said they wanted to do something meaningful for the walk.

"Where October is in conjunction with breast cancer awareness, we thought what a great opportunity to bring a little bit of focus to local people who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and the impact that the community has had on them," Lindsey said.

The center then contacted Malouf to create the service project.

"This is great," Finley said. "There's been cancer patients in my family, including breast cancer patients. So I've seen the struggle that they go through and to be able to provide some comfort, it's pretty awesome. It's a need that's often overlooked."

Lindsey and her family have also been affected by breast cancer.

"My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer," said Lindsey, as tears began to fall down her face. "So this has a lot of personal meaning to me. She's passed away now. The statistics show now that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. That's why I feel so strongly about it."

The Witches Walk was included in the price of the Fall Harvest Festival ticket.