The Randall High School Key Club will be collecting money for United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) throughout the month of October by participating in Trick or Treat for UNICEF. Members were given a box they can use to carry the donations in.

UNICEF is an organization with people who want to help mothers and children in developing countries by providing developmental and humanitarian support.

“Key Club is helping to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus in other countries,” senior Kami Velarde said. “Trick or treat for UNICEF is an easy way for our key club to make a huge difference with a seemingly small movement.”

Neonatal tetanus is a life-threatening disease to newborns and their mothers. The disease is caused by unclean deliveries of babies and unhygienic practices.

“Key Club participates because it’s the right thing to do,” senior Blanca Contreras said. “Trick or Treat for UNICEF helps protect a woman and her future newborns from tetanus.”

When a baby gets neonatal tetanus the baby stops eating, the body becomes stiff, and the baby undergoes severe muscle spasms and contractions.

“I enjoy the fact that out of the 40 starting countries, we only have 12 more countries left to eliminate the virus in,” Velarde said.

Neonatal tetanus can be prevented by a clean delivery process and immunizations.

“I enjoy participating in trick or treat for UNICEF because it helps people,” Contreras said. “It’s important because it helps over 100 million women in more than 25 countries from a painful disease.”

A baby born to a woman who has received a vaccine against neonatal tetanus will be protected from the disease for the first few months of his life.

“Trick or treat for UNICEF is important because it gives teenagers a chance to make a difference in other parts of the world by simply donating spare change,” Velarde said. “I believe our efforts truly are making a difference to eliminate neonatal tetanus within those countries by donating money through such an awesome company.”