Christophe Waggoner, a longtime Austin resident, launched October's Child in 2017 after witnessing families struggle to afford Halloween costumes.
In the first five years he stored costumes in his garage. As donations grew, he rented several storage units.
Each year he hosts a distribution event in a church or school parking lot, setting up tents and handing out costumes to families. The 2026 event, scheduled for October 31, will take place on a 7,200‑sq‑ft field next to a school.
Keri Stern, mother of three teens, said, "Nobody leaves with bare bones! If someone wants to be a dragon and Christophe doesn’t have a dragon costume, he will find enough pieces to put together to make a dragon costume."
Waggoner told a reporter that "Seeing all the laughter, smiles, and everybody having a good time makes me emotional." He added, "I know this is something they probably couldn’t have done otherwise. It makes me feel so good to help!"
After giving away almost 8,000 costumes since 2017, Waggoner plans to add 4,000 more in 2026, marking a milestone for the charity.