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Marco Island is about to have a different sort of Halloween event, designed for adults to enjoy and to raise money for a cause that helps kids.

We all know that Halloween isn’t just for kids anymore. Adults have hijacked the holiday, in a good way, and have made it one of the biggest commercial holidays of the year. Until now, Halloween on Marco Island has had a certain sameness to it.

Special parties host the little ones with a sanitized trick or treat effort that makes sense in these days when danger can be just a stranger away. Our stores go all orange and black and brown, hawking everything Halloween from paper plates to a sale on brooms in honor of our favorite witches.

Generally it’s good fun, despite the efforts of some to see it as the work of the devil. I mean the real one, not your neighbor in his rented red suit with horns and a tail. What’s new this year is a romp, a party, a good time for grownups loosely called, “Beware, the Witches Are Coming.”

Details are still in progress, and we all know the devil is in the details of any endeavor. But be assured the event will include a bunch of local “witches” on a whirlwind tour of island restaurants and bars, entertaining patrons and raising money for the Upon a Star Foundation.

Michelle Jordan, one of the organizers, sums it up in this poem: “Look out, look out, the witches are coming. Don’t be afraid, they’re sure to be stunning. Angels by day, witches by night, follow them around Marco as they take flight.

“We can’t tell you who they’re gonna be, just be sure to know you’ll definitely want to see. Some are short, some are tall. Most will be too sexy for us all. Whether mean, nice, sexy or funny, they all will be trick-or-treating for a little bit of your money. Please be generous when you see them at the bar. All proceeds benefit Upon a Star. So if you’re sitting at home with nothing to do, come out and play with us and bring your friends too.”

The event on Oct. 26 will include up to 33 women who are willing to pay $50 to dress up like a witch and join the fun. They will cruise around town on the Marco Trolley, stopping at various wining and dining spots. They’ll “trick or treat” the customers and show off their bewitching costumes, all for a good cause. There’s also space among the witches on the trolley for two male participants, portraying “warlocks.” They’ll have to pay $1,000 each for those coveted spots.

Anyone who wants more information or wants to take part should phone Michelle Jordan at 272-3090. Islander Nancy Ehlen got the idea from her sister in upstate New York.

“She and her friends began this 10 years ago, knowing that girls like to dress up for Halloween but guys don’t.”

They started with eight women, and last year they had 60 witches. It’s all witch oriented. Other than mandatory witch hats and brooms, they can be any kind of witch — fairy witches, Playboy bunny witches, French maid witches, disco witches, anything they want.

Here’s a thought on how to win the Best Witch Costume contest or at least be safe this Halloween season: Invoke an old Halloween superstition, as reported in the Marco Office Supply newsletter. “Walk around your home three times backwards and counter-clockwise to ward off evil spirits.” Hey, it couldn’t hurt.

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Chris Curle is a former news anchor for CNN and for ABC TV stations in Atlanta, Houston and Washington, D.C. E-mail: chris@chriscurle.com.