First Annual BOOFEST Planned for Bethlehem Rose Garden

First Annual BOOFEST Planned for Bethlehem Rose
Garden

Halloween, often seen as one of the most festive holidays in America,
can sometimes pose great difficulties to those with special needs.  Special needs children, like all children,
love the idea of trick or treating, but this activity may create unseen
difficulties for their families.  To
ensure that all children, adults and families, especially those with special
needs, have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of the Halloween holiday, the
Lehigh Valley Business Group will be hosting a safe Halloween celebration.  The event, called BOOFest, will be held Sunday, October 27
from 12 pm – 5 pm at the Rose Garden, 8th Avenue & W. Union Blvd
in Bethlehem.

The Lehigh Valley Business Group, one of the area’s newest non-profits,
plans to transform Bethlehem’s Rose Garden into an unforgettable Halloween
village.  Attendees will get to visit
specially decorated trick or treat booths, participate in one of the many
child-centered activities and games planned for the day, snack on Halloween-themed
foods, take part in an apple pie eating contest and gaze at a variety of
entertainers and shady or unusual looking characters who will be roaming about.

“We
want to do something special for Children and Adults with special needs who may
have missed out on the fun of dressing up and going trick or treating on
Halloween,” says Kevin Cope, founder of the Lehigh Valley Business Group.  “We created BooFest with the goal of providing a safe
environment where any child, especially those with special needs, can enjoy the
fun and excitement of Halloween.”  

All participants and attendees are encouraged to dress up as there will be
costume contests with prizes.

LifePath is our beneficiary for this event and other
local organizations with ties to the special needs community are invited and will be participating.  In
addition, students from Liberty High School will be volunteering their time to
help out

About Lehigh Valley
Business Group: Founded in 2011, the Lehigh Valley Business Group has developed a
reputation for its ability to unite local businesses and non-profits to benefit
the greater Lehigh Valley community. 
Sponsorships and booth rental fees will cover the cost of staging this
free event.

About LifePath: Established in 1974,
LifePath provides the highest quality of programs and services to individuals
of all ages with developmental disabilities throughout the Lehigh Valley and
southeastern Pennsylvania. LifePath serves 1400 individuals annually through
its residential and day programs, vocational training, supported living,
in-home supports, life sharing, home and community habilitation, early
intervention, outpatient mental health services, commercial laundry facility
and dedicated pediatric care facility for medically-fragile children. For more
information, please contact LifePath Development Director, Ann Marie Surovy,
CFRE at amsurovy@lifepath.org or visit www.lifepath.org.

For more information contact
Kevin Cope kcope@lvbg.org or 484-274-3245