Mapleton hosts community meals

Terry Sandusky, Special to The County
10 months ago

A recent weekend in Mapleton was filled with events and special dinners.  

Mapleton Daze started the weekend on Oct. 24 with their first trunk-or-treat event.  At the start time of 6 p.m., the closest available parking was a block away from Mapleton Elementary School.  

Many community volunteers came out for the first trunk-or-treat event in Mapleton and handed out treats to many youth. John Nelson, the evening deejay, joined in the giving of treats. The evening was so successful the committee will make it an annual event.
(Courtesy of Terry Sandusky)

A line of spooks, ballerinas and superheroes with their parents stretched from the back side of the parking lot to Main Street.  Nearly 300 kids went through the line of specially decorated car trunks and pickup trucks.  The fire department handed out treats and fire prevention information as they met the many costumed children.  

The first Mapleton Daze Committee trunk-or-treat event for kids was held on Friday, Oct. 24. The event nearly overwhelmed the volunteer treaters as large crowd of spooks, goblins, ballerinas and superheroes came with their parents for a fun evening collecting Halloween treats at the event.
(Courtesy of Terry Sandusky)

The Mapleton Daze Committee confirmed trunk-or-treat will become an annual event for communities’ kids and their parents.

Three dinners 

Three special dinner events occurred simultaneously on Saturday, Oct. 25.  

Mapleton Daze Committee volunteers carry chicken stew dinners to drivers on Oct. 25 as they come through the meal take-out line. More than 120 meals were provided for donations given for Mapleton Daze 2026.
(Courtesy of Terry Sandusky)

Starting at 4:30 p.m., the Mapleton Daze Committee hosted their annual chicken stew drive-thru. People purchased take-home dinners and the crew stayed busy until they sold out of food, serving 120 meals.  

The stew night was the jump-start of fundraising activities for the coming Mapleton Daze 2026.

The fundraising and community fellowship harvest supper began at 5 p.m. at the State Road Advent Christian Church.

The State Road Advent Christian Church hosted its annual harvest supper on Oct. 25. Proceeds will provide a helping hand to some neighbors with challenging needs.
(Courtesy of Terry Sandusky)

The dinner met diners’ expectations of turkey, mashed potatoes, vegetables, rolls, stuffing and squash, including a table of desserts.  

Each year, the supper donations benefit community families with substantial needs. This year’s supper will benefit families and individuals the church membership has been praying for since last November’s harvest supper.   

The third dinner of the evening was a celebration for young member of the Mapleton Baptist Church.  Brayden Boulier, a 2025 high school graduate, was given a send-off dinner to mark his departure to United States Air Force basic training in Texas.  

The Mapleton Baptist Church hosted a send-off dinner for Brayden Boulier (center), who will leave Nov. 11 for U.S. Air Force basic training in Texas. With Boulier are, from left: Rachel and Gordon Boulier, his parents, and Michael and Betty Ireland, his grandparents. His great-grandmother, Winnie Ireland, was present but not pictured.
(Courtesy of Terry Sandusky)

Boulier decided to begin a career in the Air Force with the goal of becoming a heavy cargo plane crew chief.  Heavy cargo aircraft crew chiefs are responsible for a wide range of duties that ensure the safe and efficient operation of their aircraft and include:  aircraft maintenance and repair, training and development of crew members, aircraft readiness project management, safety management and accident prevention, and quality control of work done on the aircraft.  

In general the pilot commands the aircraft during flight operations, but the crew chiefs frequently see themselves as the owners of their aircraft, which they loan to the pilots.  

Boulier will do five weeks of basic training before starting his crew chief specialist training.

Hunters breakfast 

The next special Mapleton meal will be the Mapleton Daze Committee’s annual hunters breakfast, which will be held from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Lions Hall.

This will be the committee’s third annual hunters breakfast.  The buffet will include scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries, homemade baked beans, pancakes, toast, coffee, juice and water.  All hunters and non-hunters are invited to come for breakfast.

Terry Sandusky is the Star-Herald correspondent for Mapleton, Chapman and Castle Hill and can be reached at 764-4916 or at starherald.Tsandusky@gmail.com.