By Annie Reed

Starbucks barista costume from the 2024 Halloween/Ton of Coins Parade.

It’s the first period of the school day on October 31, and it’s not long before the Upper Schoolers beg their teachers to let them out of class to see the long-awaited Ton Of Coins Halloween parade. The Lower School kids parade through the hallways of Pitt Hall, decked out in various costumes. Some dress as Disney princesses, football players, and even Starbucks baristas. Any costume you can imagine is wandering somewhere throughout the Upper School halls.

For the week leading up to Halloween, the golden bathtub sits in the hallway, awaiting its meal of coins. The green and gold-decorated tub embodies the true Collegiate spirit. Despite the separation of the Lower, Middle, and Upper schools, Ton Of Coins allows the entire Collegiate community to unite as one. 

Started by retired Upper School English teacher and coach Lewis Lawson 29 years ago, Ton Of Coins has raised up to $14,000 annually. The money raised during this fond Collegiate tradition is then put into a fund for Collegiate students in need of financial assistance under the Lewis Lawson Ton Of Coins Endowment. Lawson said this scholarship was created to “make our education available to someone else.” In an interview for The Match, he reminisced on how well Collegiate prepares their students for the next step, and how it is so amazing to give this success to more people.

Though its impact has been widely appreciated by the Collegiate community, it was not an easy startup. Lawson grew up always attending the Halloween parade for his school, going by houses dressed up and collecting candy. When he became part of the Collegiate community, he decided to bring a similar tradition. However, he pondered on how to make it more beneficial: “Let’s not just always think about what we can get for ourselves, let’s do something that would benefit others.” So he combined this aspect of serving others with a Halloween twist and created the Ton Of Coins parade. After being the faculty sponsor of the Interact club, a service-driven club, Lawson decided to contribute his knowledge and position to create the idea of Ton Of Coins. Lawson said that “the slight disruption to the daily schedule” from the event and parade “didn’t harm the daily routine, yet the spirit of sharing helped unite the student body.” He added, “I had never seen so much excitement around here.” From then, Ton Of Coins expanded and continued to show impressive results.

The motto for Ton Of Coins is the Latin phrase “Multi mani, cor unum,” which translates to “hands of many, one heart.” Lawson emphasized the meaning of the phrase: “Instead of simply getting candy for one’s self at Halloween, give up candy, or soda pops, or whatever, to save a few coins piled together to make a big impact on another person’s life.”

Kids pouring their coins into the bathtub.

The same tub that Lawson hauled from the woods and painted green and gold continues to sit in the front of the Pitt Hall every Halloween. Since its original debut, the tub has been painted several times but continues to have the same purpose every year.

While Ton Of Coins is about so much more than Halloween and serves its own purpose, it is definitely fun to see how excited Lower School students are in costume every year. Lawson said, “To see what these kids come up with is overwhelming.”

I vividly remember my Kindergarten experience at the Ton Of Coins parade in 2012. I had planned to match three of my classmates and go as different insects. I was a bumble bee, while my teachers and friends were ladybugs and butterflies. The night before the major event, I went down to the basement of my home, where a water jug of coins sat. My dad and I filled up my cup with all sorts of coins, laughing at the iconic “Fill ‘er up!” on the side of the cup. When I got to school that morning, I could hardly focus. My classmates and I were thrilled to be in our costumes, which had been chosen weeks before their debut. As I walked through the Middle and Upper School hallways, I saw my older cousins and siblings, who were so excited to see me and greeted me with a hug. This was my favorite part of Ton Of Coins, as I got to show off my marvelous costume to all of my friends and older people who did not get to dress up.

I am not the only student who said this was their favorite part of Ton Of Coins. Lawson Vaughan (‘25) said her most memorable moment of parading for Ton Of Coins in Lower School was when she got to venture to the Upper School: “It was a really cool experience to do, especially as the youngest, getting to see all the older kids.” She reminisced on the time and effort she put into her 1st Grade costume, Glinda the Good Witch from The Wizard of Oz.

Seniors met with their Kindergarten buddies just a few days after Ton Of Coins. As every Senior greeted their buddies, the first question they asked was, “What were you for Halloween?” All my Kindergarten buddy Ella (’38) wanted to talk about was the costume that she wore to school, showing the impact the event had on her. It not only is a great contribution to the school but also an amazing opportunity for the Collegiate community to come together. When reflecting on the legacy of Ton Of Coins, Lewis Lawson agreed: “Many little hands working together certainly have a large impact—an important lesson that will hopefully always be at the heart of the Collegiate spirit.”

All photos courtesy of Collegiate School.