PLAINS, Pa. — Hundreds of characters could be found at the first ever Bright Journeys' Sweet Treat Trail inside the ballroom at Mohegan, Pennsylvania, near Wilkes-Barre.
"This is a great program. You get different things from the community that will help you find resources for your children or grandchildren with autism," said Darlene Pluko of Nanticoke.
Special education classes, day programs, and community groups from Luzerne and Lackawanna counties and the Poconos were invited to this Halloween event specifically designed for children and adults with special needs.
"It makes my heart happy to see so many happy kids, and I'm so glad to bring it back to the area and so proud of Brighter Journeys for taking this on as one more event to make our community awesome," said Nicole Ash of Exeter.
In addition to the sensory toys, attendees left here with a lot of goodies.
"I got candy, I got Cheetos, and I got a glow stick," explained Gianna DeAntonio of Carbondale.
Families could also check out information from dozens of resources and organizations that cater to those living with special needs.
They tell us the space in the ballroom, the understanding of the volunteers, transportation from schools, and other elements make events like this easy to attend.
"Well, it's during the day, so he's not going to be as tired, so he won't have sensory overload as much as he would at night when he's gone through things all day," explained Pluko.
Which is also why volunteers decided to pitch in and help out.
"To give back to the community, and he benefits from it, so it's really nice to see I know how important it is to us and have something typical in our area to do, and he gets to be part of it and participate," said Ash.