What’s New at RiverWoods

RiverWoods Accommodates Special Needs Children for Halloween

November 3, 2006

For the second consecutive year, RiverWoods Senior Living Community has teamed up with WNEP-TV (Channel 16) and Country Cupboard Best Western to provide children with special needs a safe trick-or-treating environment for the Halloween season.

Trail of Treats, as the event was called, was held on October 26 with about 200 children in attendance.  Best Western allowed local businesses to decorate each room of an entire floor of the hotel for the event.  The children came on buses dressed in their Halloween costumes and were able to collect candy throughout the day.  Storytelling by WNEP personalities, music by local artists, and great snacks from local hosts were the highlights of the day. 

RiverWoods staff and residents also enjoyed themselves, dressing up as witches and handing out sealed apple slices to the kids.

“To see the joy in the kids’ faces was a joy in itself,” said Betty Marlow, a resident at RiverWoods who helped out that morning.

Some of the children had to use the same equipment as the residents, such as walkers and wheelchairs, but were just happy to be there and didn’t let their disability get in the way of the fun they were having.

“There was a little girl dressed up as a princess that walked with a walker that was an inspiration to all of us,” Betty added.

Trail of Treats was also held in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. at the Ramada Hotel.  About 600 total people participated between each of the locations.

Additional information and photos can be found online by visiting www.wnep.com.