COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – B.J. Rottinghaus is a finance major at Texas A&M. But long before coming to College Station, he set his sights on a very different kind of investment.<\/p>\n
As a high schooler, he founded \u201cY\u2019alloween\u201d, a nonprofit dedicated to giving costumes to children living in crisis.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe try to identify homeless shelters or domestic violence shelters where families are separated from their homes… and we want to bring them a sense of normalcy through Halloween, through Y\u2019alloween,\u201d said Rottinghaus.<\/p>\n
For Rottinghaus, the effort is deeply personal.<\/p>\n
\u201cEver since I was a kid, trick-or-treating has been my favorite thing to do. Just going out in costume is always so fun, and I want to make sure everyone has that experience,\u201d said Rottinghaus.<\/p>\n
What started with donations to a single Houston shelter has grown into a multi-city operation.<\/p>\n
This year, Y\u2019alloween is partnering with nine nonprofits across Houston, Austin, and the Brazos Valley.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year we\u2019re on track to give a little over 500 costumes across three cities. It was so amazing to see these kids; they love it so much, and they\u2019re going to cherish that memory for so long,\u201d said Rottinghaus.<\/p>\n
And with more people interested every year, this Aggie hopes to deliver plenty more treats for Halloweens to come.<\/p>\n
\u201cIdeally, it would expand all the way across the U.S. We\u2019ve had great partners reach out over the last couple of years; if we were able to continue expanding, we\u2019d be able to help so many people,\u201d said Rottinghaus.<\/p>\n