RDAU_10-11_Oct_Nov Issue

several times a week, paying out of pocket to build a collection. By the following September, Waggoner had gathered more than 100 costumes and accessories. He hosted the first event in his garage, spreading the word informally and on social media. A group came with six children from a foster home, who each gave Wag- goner a thank-you card. He decided then that it would be an annual effort. Nearly a decade later, October’s Child, now a nonprofit that accepts donations, has grown into a major community event. At last year’s gath- ering, held in September, hundreds of families showed up. There were more than 2,000 costumes available, orga- nized by category—from princesses to superheroes. There was even a section with costumes for dogs. “There were times I had to carry boxes over my head because it got so crowded,” Waggoner says, adding that a school gave him permission to host the event on campus. People often bring their old cos- tumes to the event, but Waggoner in- sists on washing and repairing them himself before giving them out. “I don’t want people to feel like they just got hand-me-downs,” he says, preferring the costumes to be “as close to new as possible.” Waggoner uses a dog brush to comb out costumes with fake fur, and he soaks wigs in fabric softener, which he says makes the fibers relax for easier detangling. If a garment needs restitching or even redesigning, he does that too. He spends nearly $5,000 a year on storage for the costumes. Waggoner’s commitment goes back to his childhood. The oldest of six sib- lings, he grew up in handmade cos- tumes and learned how to sew at age 12. “It’s doing something for people, but it’s also helping save the planet,” he says. “So many people will get a costume and never wear it again.” “He doesn’t care who you are and where you come from—all he sees are the smiles, and he wants to create more smiles,” says Brenda Guitierrez-Hodgkin, an October’s Child volunteer. “This man has such a big heart.” While restoring thousands of cos- tumes can be tedious, Waggoner said it’s worth it, and that nothing makes him happier than listening to chil- dren when they’re picking out a cos- tume. “I love when you hear a kid go, ‘Whoa!’” Waggoner says. “You know they’re truly excited.” THE WASHINGTON POST (OCT. 9, 2025), COPYRIGHT © 2025 BY THE WASHINGTON POST. “I LOVE WHEN YOU HEAR A KID GO, ‘WHOA!’ YOU KNOW THEY’RE EXCITED.” readersdigest.com.au 29