ST. IGNATIUS, MT — Flashlights, candy and more — they're all part of a Halloween tradition at Old Timer Cafe in St. Ignatius that has helped keep trick-or-treaters safe over the years.
For James Burckhard, owner of Old Timer Cafe in St. Ignatius, those lights have become part of a tradition that keeps the memory of his late wife, Julie, shining.
"We would have different groups come in here, and we saw a need for the kids to have lights," Burckhard said.
Julie passed away four years ago, but her tradition lives on. Each year, Burckhard and his family fill hundreds of "boo bags" with safety items for local students.
"She loved Halloween. She'd dress up like a witch and hop around here," Burckhard said.
That community support goes beyond what's inside the bags. St. Ignatius Elementary Principal Chantelle Moore saw it as an opportunity to educate students about trick-or-treating safety.
"It's so great. I always feel like the community wraps around our school," Moore said.
Moore reached out to local Police Chief Jason Acheson, who will give students a Halloween safety presentation Friday, and also got some more donations like toothbrushes and toothpaste.
"We just wanted to nail down the importance of safety. It's so important," Moore said.
Among those donors is Keni Tucker, who volunteered to help get toothbrushes and toothpaste for the kids after she heard about the effort. Tucker works with Dr. Seth Hinckley, DMD, a dentist located in Kalispell, Montana, who operates Big Heart Family Dentistry.
"The safety talk is one thing, but if we can do something for these kids to help it be more memorable, that could help with their safety that would be better," Moore said.
Thanks to this collaboration, more than 100 students will head into Halloween weekend a little more prepared. And for Burckhard, watching the community carry on what Julie started means her memory is still alive.
"It was her. It was what she liked to see," Burckhard said.
