Superheroes, witches, and spooky movie characters

TUD Tallaght students and lecturers will come together to create Halloween costumes for a children’s hospice.

Residents and users of the LauraLynn Children’s Foundation centre in Sandyford have been called to express their wishes for their costumes, as part of the Foundation’s annual partnership with TUD “Halloween Makeathon.”

Most of the childrens in LauraLynn are in wheelchairs, suffer from terminal diseases, or present limb differences.

Created four years ago by TUD engineering lecturer Robbie O’Connor, the “Halloween Makeathon” has been a way to give something special back to these children, while also collaborating with other students on a fun project.

TUD students and volunteering staff are ready to bring personalised costumes to life in the LauraLynn centre in Sanydford on Thursday, October 24.

But superheroes, witches and spooky movie characters won’t be made in one day.

The students went to LauraLynn centre in early October to take measurements of the children’s wheelchairs.

With the help of 3D technology, three dimensional images of children and their wheelchairs were taken to obtain exact measurements. While Professor O’Connor is still keeping the event up and running, the Makeathon expanded to other TUD departments such as Marketing and Media, with students using their expertise for different sides of the event.

“Everyone loves this event, it’s an amazing cause,” said Caoimhe Milton, a TUD Tallaght marketing student who has been participating in the event for the past few years.

Residents’ families are also happy to attend every year and enjoy witnessing the costumes “making of,” to then see them worn by their beloved children, brothers and sisters.

Every year, the event drags participants into the Halloween spirit a few days before October 31st.

The project, partly founded by N-Tutorr, is supported by Google and Project Management Group.