Lights flashed, a deejay spun the Isley Brothers shouting their way through “Shout,” and the dance floor groaned under dozens of feet.
It was, in other words, not a quiet night at the Harvard Moose Lodge.
The event was the annual Snowball Dance that the Moose Lodge and the Women of the Moose sponsor for people with developmental disabilities. Many are clients of social service agencies in McHenry, Boone and Winnebago Counties and in southern Wisconsin.
About 400 people attended, from small children to senior citizens.
Though the food was stellar and the music lively, people didn’t come just to dance and eat.
“The people here are happy, and it puts me in the Christmas spirit,” said Harvard resident Joe Render.
“I like to see my old buddies,” said Paul Perrona, 34, of Harvard. “I get to meet some new friends.”
This year’s event was held Wednesday night but the excitement started earlier in the day for many.
“They’ve been so excited since 3:30 this afternoon,” said Linda Altman, a volunteer at Pioneer Center’s West Avenue group home in the City of McHenry. “They were busy putting on makeup and adjusting ties.”
The Snowball Dance was held for the first time a decade ago when the lodge’s administrator, the late Ralph Wendling, and his wife lived next door to a Pioneer Center home for the developmentally disabled in Harvard, said Nancy Nolan, whose husband, Ed, was this year’s dance chairman.
“They became involved with the developmentally disabled and thought it would be fun to invite these special people for a night out,” Nolan said.
The event has grown since the first one, which was attended by about 100 people.
“The age is not limited. There are children 5 and 6 years old, to seniors 65 to 70 years old,” Nolan said. “It’s just so heartwarming to see. They’re so grateful, and they always come back.”
The female lodge members cooked all the food for their guests, and provided soft drinks and popcorn.
Pioneer Center of McHenry County serves 1,400 clients and operates 12 group homes throughout the county, said Marcy Offner, director of development and public relations.
Pioneer Center has been operating in the county for almost 40 years, and assists clients with the group homes, vocational rehabilitation and case management services, said Lorraine Kopczynski, the center’s director of developmentally disabled services.
“We also do employment, find them jobs and job coaches,” Kopczynski said.
The Snowball Dance is just one event the Moose Lodge members put on as a community service project.
The lodge also holds sports and school banquets, 4-H banquets, and the Milk Days Queen coronation. In addition, the Salvation Army uses the site as its drop-off center for its meals on wheels program, and the lodge provides volunteers to deliver the meals.
