Karla Natale, associate vice president of Community Partnerships and University Events, said Boomer’s Boo Bash is one of many ways Quinnipiac gets involved with supporting and uplifting its surrounding communities.

“For Boomer’s Boo Bash, we partner with our student-athletes to do all kinds of wonderful activities and games with the kids as an event for our Hamden and North Haven hometowns, and all of our surrounding area community members, as well,” said Natale.

“Boomer is always a great host, and we love to welcome everybody on campus to have a fun fall Halloween day. It always warms our heart to see everyone having such a great time and enjoying the Quad.”

Quinnipiac President Marie Hardin said it was a joy see Bobcat student-athletes engaging with area community members and their kids.

“It’s so encouraging to see our student-athletes, who excel in so many ways. They are great scholars, they are a united community in how they support one another, and on top of that, they also support the community -- and they know how important that is,” said Hardin. “I think universities have an obligation to support the communities in which they are embedded.”

In addition to expanding over the years to include Quinnipiac student organizations, Boomer’s Boo Bash also brings local businesses in on the fun. Quinnipiac offers free tabling for businesses to showcase their services and add to the day’s activities and giveaways. Area business owners love signing up to participate, said Nancy Dudchik, Hamden Regional Chamber of Commerce president.

“It’s great having businesses here engaging with community members, and when you see the students engaging with everyone, I think it makes the students feel like part of the community, too,” said Dudchik. “It’s a way for Quinnipiac to share their beautiful campus and it gives community members a great reason to come out and enjoy this beautiful location. This event has really grown, and we couldn’t be happier for the university to open its doors to everyone each year.”

Bobcat baseball pitcher Andrew Rubayo, ’26, said the team’s game plan for its Boomer’s Boo Bash activity was to help kids build skills and accuracy by trying their hand at throwing baseballs at a target screen.

“It makes me feel good since we’re able to be a part of the community and to see the joy that it brings the kids. It’s fun to see how the team reacts to working with the kids and seeing new faces of people, especially our young guys,” said Rubayo. “It also helps us to potentially get more fans in the spring, which is always a good thing, because we love the support.”

Quinnipiac women’s lacrosse player Graham Straface, ’26, joined her teammates in coloring with kids and in offering to share some lacrosse fundamentals with hands-on instruction. Straface said the team loves participating in Boomer’s Boo Bash every year.

“I think it shows that we’re more than just athletes. It’s showing that we’re part of the community as well as being students here,” said Straface. “Showing up for others is one of the most important things our coaches instill in us.”

Joe Van Gilder, associate head coach for Bobcat women’s track and field, and Jamie Van Gilder, director of operations for Quinnipiac women’s cross country and women’s track and field, were pulling double duty as they visited their student athletes and brought along their 11-month-old daughter, Kinley.

Joe Van Gilder said he loved seeing the student-athletes interacting with so many kids.

“They’re bringing enthusiasm and having a good time,” said Van Gilder. “We want to build great role models and empower women as leaders, and I think bringing them together with the community helps with that and shows them there’s more than sport and school. And they love it because they’re giving back.”

Jamie Van Gilder said the Bobcats were also modeling what it means to be successful student-athletes.

“We emphasize academics, so they’re academically well-rounded; and then they’re also out in the community as great role models,” she said. “They’re great examples to children in our community who may want to be involved in athletics as they get older. They’re showing them you can be academically successful and successful as a collegiate athlete.”

North Haven residents Stacey and Jay Cebula said they were having a great time with their kids, ages 4 and 2. After climbing aboard the Touch-a-Truck offered by local business All American Waste; dancing with the IceCats; taking a swing at a Quinnipiac women’s golf team game, and tackling the Quinnipiac acrobatics and tumbling team’s obstacle course, the Cebula kids were ready to take on Boomer’s inflatable playscapes.

The Cebulas have attended Boomer’s Boo Bash as a family for the past four years.

“We love the activities, and the students here are awesome with getting the kids involved. They love to see Boomer and of course they love all the candy,” said Stacey Cebula. 
New Haven resident Natalie LeBlanc was back at Boomer’s Boo Bash with her two-year-old daughter.

“She has older brothers, and we came here a couple of years ago with them and thought it was just such a great community activity; so when we were reminded it was happening again, we had to bring her,” said LeBlanc. “It’s such a beautiful campus, and it’s a great opportunity to see the college life and all the options that are available”

IceCat Kendall Evans, ’26, said Boomer’s Boo Bash was a fun way for the team to share music, dancing, candy and giveaways with local kids and Bobcat ice hockey fans.
“As a team, we’re always practicing or cheering on the men’s and women’s ice hockey teams, so it’s fun to be able to be here to see the fans from the area and to connect with the community,” said Evans.

Acrobatics and tumbling team members Gabriella Pierce, ’26, and Avery Malek, ’26, said they hoped to help their sport make an impression on the kids they were meeting at Boomer’s Boo Bash.

“We wanted to help teach everyone about our sport, because it’s not a common one,” said Pierce. “We made an obstacle course so we can help the kids flip around and do handstands and some of the things that we get to do. It’s great because we’re getting to show them what we’re really passionate about, and what we found we love about the sport; and adding some candy to it!”

Malek said it was also a great opportunity to introduce families and their kids to Quinnipiac.

“This is such an amazing university, so I think it’s really great that parents are able to bring their kids here, and that kids can do something fun and get intertwined at a young age,” said Malek.

North Haven resident Sinead Mezzi and her 6-year-old daughter were back for a second year in a row and brought along a cousin to have a great time at Boomer’s Boo Bash.

“We drive on Mount Carmel every day to bring my daughter to her school, and when we saw the Boo Bash signs last year, we wondered what it was and decided to come,” said Mezzi. “We had never actually been inside the campus before then, and it was so much fun. She loved trying out all the sports, and all the attractions for the kids. She now wants to go to Quinnipiac!”

Men’s lacrosse team member Nicholas Meoni, ’27, said he was having a great time at his third Boomer’s Boo Bash with the team.

“We get to do it every year, which is great, because it gives us a chance to give back and meet with the community,” said Meoni. “Lacrosse is a growing sport and it’s nice to see the young kids try it out for the first time here. I think it’s a game-changer for all the sports teams around this time of year; because the kids love this and they get to wear their costumes, and we get to hang out and just have a good time with them.”

In Focus