To the Editor:

We want to thank everyone who made the 2013 Princeton Special Needs Prom so much fun. Since 2008, Princeton Special Sports and the Princeton Recreation Department have partnered to host monthly dances for our teenaged and young adult neighbors with special needs. Through these dances and other events, our friends have had more opportunities to socialize in a comfortable environment.

We could not do it without a long list of exceptional people.

Thank you to everyone at the Recreation Department, and especially Program Supervisor Joe Marrolli. You rock, Joe!

Thank you to Jaime Escarpeta, our talented photographer who again donated his time and provided every participant with a professional formal photograph right on site. Thank you, too, to McCaffrey’s, George’s Roasters & Ribs, Radha Iyer, and Ann Diver for supplying our delicious theme-inspired dinner. And, of course, thank you to our terrific DJ, Drew Zimmerman.

Thank you also to the group of professional women who took time over many months from their already packed schedules to put everything together: Katerina Bubnovsky, Ann Diver, Jackie Mckelvie, Hana Oresky, and Evelyn Rutledge.

Our student volunteers are the ones who really make the prom a standout event. Thank you to this year’s volunteers: Scott Bechler, Ben Danis, Talia Fiester, Maddy Gostomski, Holly Greaver, Maria Kaminska, Sara Leeper, Peter Luther, Lauren Magid, Alexus Mckelvie, Lauren Morelli, Isaac Rosenthal, Adam Straus-Goldfarb, Sarah Trigg, Charlotte Walker, Sydney Watts, Erica West, and Alina Zhao.

Thank you to PHS Principal Gary Snyder, PHS staff Renee Szporn, and Kate Anderson, Recreation Commission representatives Dick Nosker and Andrew Koontz, and Laurie Koontz. It means a lot when our community leaders participate in our population’s activities.

And finally, thank you to my fellow PSS Trustees. This steadfast group has been making sports and social programming available to our special needs friends for more than 13 years: Carmine Conti, Ann Diver, Hana Oresky, John Pecora, John Rutledge, and Barb Young.

The next and last dance of the season is our pool party, dance, and BBQ at the Princeton Community Pool on May 31. Swimming will be from 6:30 to 7:30, followed by dancing and BBQ from 7:30 to 9:30. Registration is required. For more information, go to www.princetonrecreation.com or www.princetonspecialsports.com.

Deborah Martin Norcross

Co-President, Princeton Special Sports