Boo Halloween Party gives back
Some look to Halloween for the costumes or the parties or the scary movies. A few Vestavia Hills High School graduates, however, look to Halloween as a chance to enjoy all of those things and to give back.
In 1995, VHHS grad Chris Milazzo and three close friends — Tony Truitt, Mike Walton and Jace Chandler — decided to launch a Halloween party in Birmingham. They all loved Halloween, Milazzo said, and couldn’t find a party in Birmingham with all the elements they wanted.
The Boo Halloween Party started in ’95 with a DJ and about 100 guests, but in the last 22 years has grown to include a DJ, “scary-oke,” a midnight costume contest and to attract around 1,000 attendees each year.
“I’m a Halloween guy. I’ve always loved it,” Milazzo said. “If you’re looking for just a traditional Halloween party with music and entertainment, and you’re trying to find something with a little bit of a carnival atmosphere, I really don’t think anybody does it as good as we do.”
They also decided early on to partner with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Alabama, to give back while they celebrated Halloween. Over the years, that partnership, like the party, has grown.
“To see that this has run from a small, couple hundred dollar donation to thousands and thousands of dollars donated is amazing,” said Mike Walton, a co-founder of the event. “I think the ability to truly take something and turn it into an event that’s a lot of fun but really gives back in a significant way is great.”
And while they started donating to LLS when a friend, former director Valerie Hunt, told them about the non-profit, this year their donations hold a little more significance.
This year, Walton was diagnosed with APL — acute promyelocytic leukemia.
“It kind of felt like this party became kind of my karma moment,” he said.
After his diagnosis, the LLS website became an important resource. And the research they funded, he said, is part of the reason he’s now in remission.
“APL is now one of the most curable forms [of leukemia] thanks to research funded by people, including the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society,” he said. That’s not the case for most forms of leukemia, however, which is why Walton said fundraising is so important.
Walton said he’ll approach this year’s Boo Halloween Party — Boo 22 — a little differently. He’ll still enjoy all of the party aspects, but he plans to spend more time up front, with the LLS volunteers.
“Those people normally have a story to tell about why they’re so dedicated or who they’re raising money for,” Walton said. “For me, I have a feeling that there will be a more common bond than I have experienced any other years.”
And whether LLS has a special place in someone’s heart, or they’re just looking for a fun Halloween party, Walton said this year’s Boo Halloween Party is the place to be.
“It is an incredible event,” he said. “It is the largest Halloween party in Birmingham and has been for over a decade. It’s live music, karaoke, photographs. … Every time we’ve had the event, it tends to get a little better than the year before.”
Boo 22 will take place Friday, Oct. 27 at B&A Warehouse near Railroad Park in downtown Birmingham. For more information or tickets, go to boohalloweenparty.com.