Sussex County Community College’s LACE Program (Learning At College Experience) is in its 16th year and celebrated its 7th Annual Pumpkin Float at Horton Pond on October 25th. The LACE Program, which currently has 53 students, provides social skills, life skills, and academics for adults with special needs. The students are from Sussex, Morris, and Warren counties and attend in-person or virtually.
The students dropped off their already-carved pumpkins at the pond before class. These pumpkins are displayed on floats that are rowed around the pond. The floats were constructed eight years ago by donated wood from Home Depot. The Kittatinny Regional High School’s wood shop class built the floats and the Hampton Cub Scout Pack 96, Den 5, painted them.
The Hopatcong Defiance Engine Company #3 runs the float with the help of the College’s Facilities Department. The firefighters, along with LACE staff, put the lite pumpkins and placed them in the water, rowing the tealight-lit pumpkin “train” all over the pond. The festivities are run by Kevin Schneider, Scott Nelson, and Jacob Masher each year.
Some of the LACE students came dressed in Halloween costumes. Team activities took place that included a hula hoop race, donut fishing contest, candy corn race, and making a toilet paper mummies. Other quiet activities included:
The Colesville Fire Department’s Larry Bono provided hot dogs for the attendees of the event.
Article by Patti Nugent, LACE Program Coordinator
lace@sussex.edu
