The Jim Thorpe Rotary Club hosted a Halloween party for preschoolers at the Lehigh Valley Children’s Center at St. Joseph’s Academy on Tuesday.

Members of the Interact Club, a Rotary International service club for students at Carbon Career and Technical Institute, joined Rotary members and led crafts and other activities with youngsters.

The children also enjoyed a large fall jungle-like balloon creation from Robbie’s Balloons and More in Lehighton, running underneath and hiding from the balloon snakes and spiders above.

The preschoolers each took home pumpkin balloons, which were part of the Halloween creation designed by Rotary member and shop owner Robbie Furman, said Jeanne Miller, Rotary vice president.

The rest of the balloon structure will remain in the classroom as a learning tool, helping teachers with lessons on colors and numbers, she said.

Back in 2021, the Jim Thorpe Rotary Club partnered with the Lehigh Valley Children’s Center, which has a 50-year history in child care, and Immaculate Conception Parish in Jim Thorpe to assess the need for affordable child care in the area.

They found the greatest need in the community was for childcare for preschool-age children, 3 to 5, and worked together to open a center to help meet that need, Miller said.

“The meaning of strong partnerships and collaborations is what makes the Lehigh Valley Children’s Center a quality early educational facility. Without these strong relationships, our families and our community would be left behind,” said Charles Dinofrio, LVCC CEO and president.

“We truly value community and it’s what makes us who we are today,” he said.

The Lehigh Valley Children’s Center at St. Joseph Academy opened on Aug. 28 with 15 students, and the capacity to add another 15 students.

The center is starting out small, and building a solid foundation moving forward in providing quality and affordable childcare, Miller said.

On Tuesday, eight preschoolers enjoyed the party, which included pizza and Halloween cupcakes.

The Rotary Club has been serving the community for almost a century, continuing to identify and address unmet needs in the community, Miller said.

“It’s a great when the community can work together,” she said.