Natick Man Donating 100 Candy Chutes Ahead Of Halloween

NATICK, MA — A Natick man is trying to make Halloween a little less scary this year.

David Gill is donating 100 candy chutes to town residents to use to hand out treats on Halloween. The chutes will allow trick-or-treaters to stay a safe distance from treat-givers as coronavirus cases rise in Natick and across the state.

Gill, owner of Maine-based Reos Medical, is teaming up with Natick police to hand out the devices.

"The chutes are 3-inch diameter 6-foot cardboard tubes that are decorated with glow-in-the-dark tape and tongs to provide a social distancing alternative to traditional trick or treating," Natick police said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

Candy chutes are just one of the ways Halloween revelers are innovating to make trick-or-treating safe this year. An Ohio father and daughter team came up with the chute idea in September.

Some towns and cities are banning trick-or-treating this year. Natick health officials have cautioned residents against going door-to-door. Last week, Natick was rated as "moderate risk" for new cases on the state's weekly health report.

Anyone who wants one of Gill's chutes should email watkins@natickpolice.com. The department is also conducting a candy chute decorating contest. Email Lt. Cara Rossi at rossi@natickpolice.com with your scariest chute design.