MOUNTAINSIDE — Recently students of The Arc Kohler School and The Arc Respite Programs in Mountainside received a very special Halloween surprise from many Cub Scout Packs throughout Union County. Each one of the 200 Arc participants received a hand decorated bag of goodies complete with candy and little, fun and festive toys.
A group of Scout volunteer leaders had decided weeks before that on the first weekend in October the Cub Scout Camporee service project would be to create special Halloween bags of treats for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The scouts had learned that Halloween Trick or Treating; traditionally done by going door to door throughout local neighborhoods, was not feasible for many of the young children.
And so in October, early one Saturday morning, the scouts and family volunteers gathered to decorate each and every one of the 200 Halloween bags, filling them with candy treats and party favor toys. Once completed, the stuffed bags were packed into large boxes in preparation for the special delivery drop-off to The Arc School and Respite Programs on Oct. 29 in plenty of time for the Halloween parties that week.
Thanks to Boy Scouts of America Development Director Jennifer Volz and the generosity of organizers Judy Joshua and Boy Scout Bill San Filippo they surprised and brought smiles of joy to 200 children on Halloween.