Maybe it’s just me, or maybe I’m just getting old, but I’ve never liked Halloween, and this year it’s really creeping me out.

I know Halloween is an important revenue generator for many American retailers, and I know the little ones look adorable in their little costumes, but I have to ask; haven’t we seen enough of real life death and horror this year?  In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, I’d like to see our nation apply its collective imagination to things that enhance life rather than frighten us, or remind us of death, monstrous forces and dark imaginings.

Personally, I find the prospects of a pandemic resulting from the Avian Flu more than a little bit scary.  The same is true for the realities that occur whenever we have mandatory evacuation of a large urban area.

I don’t know many people that live in the New Orleans area, or in the Gulf States for that matter, but I think it would be frightening to have to rebuild one’s life, especially if you are a retired person with limited resources and limited by physical and health problems.

What if major retailers took a portion of the profits from the sale of their Halloween candy and paraphernalia and gave it to projects designed to help people rebuild their lives – with dignity and purpose?

That’s how I would like to see businesses respond to all of frightening images we all saw during the two hurricanes that ravaged the South.  Not only is that my personal wish, but I’m delighted to be able to share several stories with you in this edition of diversityinbusiness.com that spotlight creative responses to real “bumps” in our collective night.

The first article I would like to draw your attention to highlights the unique initiative undertaken by the Women’s Business Entreprise National Council (WBENC) to assist its members affected by the storms in the Gulf States.  WBENC is not only the nation’s leading third-party certifying entity of women-owned businesses, but the organization is a true leader in advocating for the development of women entrepreneurs.  WBENC is working with one of its affiliate organizations in the Gulf region to continue to provide certifying services for women-owned businesses in the area and to help women business owners to recover from their losses.

This edition also features an article announcing formation and initial funding of the Urban League’s Katrina Fund.   The primary focus of the fund is to provide direct assistance to displaced, low-income evacuees of Katrina.  The assistance will consist of job training, job placement and housing.

These two stories are significant because they reflect the growing mosaic of organizations and individuals within diverse communities that are assuming leadership roles in bringing hope, dignity and resources to areas devastated by the recent storms.

If our society could redirect more of its energies to finding creative ways to survive and recover from real-world horrors, we just might forget about all of the imaginary horrors associated with Halloween.

Just imagine if a major retailer or industry group elected to hold the equivalent of a “bake-off” for entrepreneurs and garage-geniuses – heck, anybody - who has ideas for products that could fulfill a life-saving function during a disaster.  The contest could be organized with several categories of products, and several classes of contestants.  One category might cover detection devices, another might cover transportation needs, and a third might address physical human needs.  The organizers of the event could structure the program to acknowledge the ideas of small and emerging businesses (under $5 million in sales); gizmos developed by “week-end” inventors; and ideas offered by young people and children.

As I think about this, I could imagine schools getting involved and providing their students with the opportunity to respond constructively to many situations that frighten us.

What if a company developed a non-combustible fuel extender that could be added to a gas tank with as little as a half-gallon of gasoline inside?  If the extender could then propel the vehicle for another 10 to 25 miles, we all would be safer on the roads.  Just imagine how helpful that would have been to the people evacuating Houston.

Or what if someone developed a small detection device that could be networked and worn like a pendant or a watch?  Families could use the device to locate one another in emergency situations.  That would have certainly been useful in New Orleans.

Finally, wouldn’t it be great if someone developed a liquid that could provide an individual with enough hydration to last a full day?  Thirst is one of the great enemies of people exposed to the elements in stressful situations.  This was certainly the case for storm victims who had to endure days of sweltering heat following the hurricanes.  If the liquid substance could be stored in small foil packets – like those used for juice drinks, and designed to withstand distribution from the air – it could be used to quickly get provisions to tens of thousands of people fleeing a disaster area.

What if a retailer teamed up with a consumer goods company and took the best of the ideas submitted by individuals and companies, and developed them into commercially viable products that could be easily produced – here in America - at low cost? 

There would be no limit to the flow of great ideas if there were several tiers of prizes, say, ten $1 million dollar top prizes, and a host of other monetary prizes for the runner-ups, plus royalties.  The total campaign might cost $30 to $40 million to conduct on a national level, but it would certainly generate a lot of creative thinking.

Sweetening the concept even further, what if the entire campaign were funded from an allocation of profits generated by the sale of Halloween candy and costumes?

I’m an interminable dreamer, who likes happy endings.  I truly believe we will all sleep better at night if we take a little more time to direct our thoughts on those things that inspire and enlighten us instead of frighten us.

May you always find the grace that’s needed to get you through your darkest times!

All the best,

Dan Perkins