On the evening of October 29,2024, William Steinmetz Park in Hacienda Heights hosted a "Trunk or Treat & Trick or Treat Village" event. Participants showcased their creativity by transforming their car trunks into festive Halloween displays. The organizers also arranged a variety of activities, including face painting, a haunted house, puppet theater, and a costume contest, drawing nearly 800 attendees.
“Armando! When you’re on stage, make sure to open your palms, like Iron Man powering up with a glow! You’ll totally win first place!” With a sudden flash of inspiration, I taped small LED candles to the palms of Armando Cabanlit, a parent from the Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple Three Acts of Goodness School (TAG School), who was dressed in an inflatable pumpkin costume. My excitement was palpable!
Venerable Hui Cheng from Hsi Lai Temple led a team of 18 volunteers from Social Education & Outreach Department, the TAG School, and the Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) Los Angeles Chapter to take part in the event. Venerable Hui Cheng affixed “Three Acts of Goodness” stickers on Armando, while his wife Patricia Nathali laughed and exclaimed, “Here comes the Pumpkin TAG Ambassador!”
Sure enough, Armando snagged first place in the adult costume contest! We celebrated with a photo, and I was grinning ear to ear, totally losing my composure with excitement!
Hsi Lai Temple’s booth featured fun activities like a ring toss game, a treasure hunt for TAG vocabulary, and paper lantern making, along with displays promoting Humanistic Buddhism. As the Pumpkin TAG Ambassador, Armando waved to the crowd with lively enthusiasm, danced to the music, and eagerly accepted photo requests from kids, drawing many attendees to our booth.
This marks my third year joining the community’s family festival, and being part of the festivities year after year requires real passion. I’ve come to feel this deeply from Armando. Not only at community events but also at activities hosted by Hsi Lai Temple and TAG School, I’ve seen him in various costumes—dressing as a dinosaur, a snowman, a bunny, and even a turkey—always spreading joy and laughter. Despite the heat and discomfort of his inflatable costume, he never fails to enjoy himself.
Venerable Hui Cheng praised Armando as a “friend we never have to ask,” highlighting his eagerness to offer help. His proactive spirit brings a unique energy to every event, making them even more vibrant.
Originally, I just wanted Armando to mimic Iron Man’s “power-up,” so I taped the little LED candles to his palms. To my surprise, when someone saw the photo, she exclaimed, “It’s like his palms are glowing!” That made me think—doesn’t “glowing” perfectly capture the idea of spreading positive energy? Thank you, Armando Cabanlit, our Pumpkin TAG Ambassador, for shining the light of the Three Acts of Goodness!
Photo By Ching Pan and Patricia Nathali
