CHARLESTON, W.Va. –Thousands of children and their parents came to the capital city Tuesday evening for the 19th annual Trick or Beat event.

The event, organized by Charleston-based radio station 107.3 The Beat, provides a safe place for kids to trick-or-treat, enjoy pizza, and have a good time.

There were two sessions: one from 6 to 7 p.m. and another from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at GoMart Ballpark.

Woody Woods from The Beat said that since it’s the 19th year the event has been going on, they’ve been able to see different generations come through.

“Most little kids they’re grown now, and we’ve done seen their grandmothers, their mothers, and now their kids, and fathers etc., so we get to see a lot of people and it’s just a fun thing to do,” he said. “When you get in media, you want to get in media for the people that you can reach, and this is just one of those community events that reaches a lot of people.”

He also said they’ve been able to do this thanks to amazing sponsors, including Salango Law, West Virginia Health Right, and CAMC Women’s and Children’s Hospital, among others. He added that the event gives local businesspeople an opportunity to connect more closely with the community.

Jase, who was dressed up as Jason Voorhees from the Friday the 13th movies, said he likes the event because it’s safe and a lot of fun.

“Every year, I’m thankful that we can be here and not have to worry about the bad people in the world and I really hope everybody has a good time here,” he said.

Lakisha Terrell, a parent returning for a second year, said it’s a fun event for the kids, and she appreciates Woody and The Beat for putting it on because of the safety it provides.

“We live in a small town up in Montgomery and there’s really not a lot so when Woody and the radio station announce it, it’s a big blessing that they bring this forward and announce it to everybody,”

Jabari Whitestone, who was dressed as Woody from Toy Story, said he likes Trick or Beat because he gets to dress up and collect candy.

“Dressing up in costumes is fun and I like candy,” he said.

Among Woody and Jason, there were kids dressed as clowns, witches, ghosts and more.

Woody said this has become one of the biggest radio promotions because of the community’s support.

“And it has grown into a stable in the community, its free tickets so I don’t know if you can say sell out, but we give away all of the tickets every year and that’s not because of us, that’s because of the community, they know this is safe, it’s well lit, they know they’re going to get good candy, and they know they’re going to have a good time here at Trick or Beat,” he said.

Woody said they expected to see about 5,000 people, including children and parents, come through the ballpark.