Trick-or-Treat Follow-Up

A huge thanks goes out to all who participated in the 1st Annual Broad Street Trick-or-Treat. There were an estimated 2,500 to 3,000 folks in attendance Saturday, and we also raised over $1200. We had great weather and a number of fun activities for the whole family. I think this event serves as a catalyst for the redevelopment and revitalization of downtown Camden that is coming in the future. I hope that all of you will choose to be a part of that.

I know that ultimately the trick-or-treat may not have resulted in a high volume of sales on Saturday, but that was not the goal of the event in the short-term. In economic development terms, the goal of the event was to create a sense of community and a sense of place, which has been absent in our downtown. We achieved that short-term goal whole-heartedly. Our long-term goal for the event was for downtown businesses to gain exposure to the community. Now all who participated in the event (literally thousands) will know who you are, where you are located, and what you goods you sell or services you provide. Remember the holiday season is upon us, and the exposure gained should serve as a reminder to folks of the plethora of goods and services they can get locally.

Yes, we can take a moment to savor the success, but remember the journey has just begun. Change is incremental and this was just one small step toward a huge change that will transform the way Camden is viewed on many levels.