You might hear something else than the usual “Trick or Treat” when some costumed-college students come knocking on your door Wednesday.

It might be “Trick or change?”

The UNICEF Campus Initiative wants money to help people in developing countries instead of candy.

Wichita State Initiative President Pie Pichetsurnathorn said, “Instead of asking for candy, we ask for change, donations.”

She said the pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters add up.

“Last year we had a lady give us 400 pennies. She said hold on a second and she pulled out her purse and emptied out literally 400 pennies,” Pichetsurnathorn said. “Something simple can change so many lives.”

She said UNICEF’s “Believe in Zero” campaign has contributed to decreasing the number of people dying each day from malnutrition, the lack of and access to immunizations, the lack of access to clean water and other simply remedied circumstances from 21,000 people to currently 19,000 a day. 

Deema DeSilva knows first-hand the value of immunization efforts. She grew up in the subtropical country of Sri Lanka and lined up for shots at school. She is the director of Student Support Services at WSU.

“I remember small pox, chicken pox, polio and diphtheria,” she said, but does not remember if it was UNICEF funded or another source. “I didn’t ask my dad and mom. I just got in line.”

She saw school children line up for shots during a visit to Sri Lanka about 18 months ago.

“All the vaccinations are done in school,” DeSilva said. “They go to school and they stay in school and they stay healthy.”

She said the students face problems with malaria, dengue and typhoid fever, among other health issues.

Sri Lanka’s literacy rate is about 91 percent and the percentage of infants born underweight is about 17 percent, according to UNICEF.

Pichetsurnathorn said she is pleased with the decrease in daily deaths.

“It’s an amazing achievement, but it’s unacceptable,” she said.

The WSU Trick or Treat for UNICEF event last year raised about $7,000, she said. In addition, the George Harrison Foundation matches the amount donated to the Initiative. 

Pichetsurnathorn said 40 to 50 people participate in Wichita and split up into groups of four or five.

“It’s mostly all students and a lot of little kids from the community,” she said.

Pichetsurnathorn said her parents benefitted from immunizations provided by UNICEF.

“In Thailand, at the time, you couldn’t get anything,” she said.

Another issue UNICEF is addressing is child/ human trafficking, Pichetsurnathorn said.