A costume party on campus Halloween night promises a hauntingly good time in support of a good cause, says Dean Kissner, manager of Catering Services.

He is one of the Warlocks of Windsor organizing the Halloween Charity Ball, October 31 in Vanier Hall’s Winclare Room.

“There will be a late-night hors d’oeuvres buffet, a DJ for dancing, and door prizes—it will be a blast!” Kissner promises. “The costume contest is always exciting. People really go all out.”

The party will run 8:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. and feature a cash bar, so admission is limited to those 19 years and older. Tickets are just $45, with net proceeds going to the AIDS Committee of Windsor. Buy in advance from the Catering Services office in room 12, Vanier Hall, or phone 519-253-3000, ext. 3277.

The cause remains an important one, Kissner says.

Although treatments have advanced, acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) which causes it remain a serious challenge, reports the World Health Organization. Since the first cases were reported in 1981, 39 million people have died, making it the world’s leading infectious killer.

The AIDS Committee of Windsor provides client advocacy, support, harm reduction, health promotion and education services for people in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent affected by HIV or AIDS.