ENGLEWOOD -- As children emptied their candy bags after Monday night's Halloween Safe Walk along West Dearborn Street, some found such "treats" among the sweets as a $10 coupon for driving lessons, a real estate agent's business card and religious literature.

One leaflet distributed by the First Baptist Church of Englewood warns trick-or-treaters of the devil, who "hates you and will use even your friends to trick you."

The Olde Englewood Village Association, the downtown business group that runs the Halloween tradition, passed a resolution Tuesday that prohibits Safe Walk participants from handing out anything besides candy and association-approved favors.

"It's a community event. It's not intended as a promotional event," association President Gene McCall said at Tuesday's monthly board meeting. The decade-long event is the group's largest; this year, a record 6,000 to 7,000 visited West Dearborn Street for Monday's free candy walk, according to McCall.

The vast majority of participating merchants follow the "spirit" of the Safe Walk, closing their businesses so they can distribute candy, and candy only, to children, McCall said. While the association provides thousands of dollars in candy, many merchants purchase a supplemental stock.

McCall said promotional and religious items had never been an issue in the past. But when the association discovered Tuesday what was making its way into candy sacks, the board promptly adopted the candy-only resolution.

Items that ended up in one child's bag included: a coupon for $10 off lessons at Ault's Driver Education Center on West Dearborn Street; a business card stamped with orange-and-black insects for Almar & Associates Realtor Lou Chauncey; a promotional flier for The Village Beauty Shop on Dearborn Street; and a pocket-sized, 62-page Gospel of John.

John Cates, pastor at First Baptist Church, said his church has passed out religious literature at previous Safe Walks. This year, the church distributed nearly 100 pounds of candy, the Gospel of John booklets and thousands of religious leaflets aimed at young readers.

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