SCHUYLKILL HAVEN, Pa. — Many students came to school Tuesday dressed up in suits and sparkly dresses for Schuylkill County's annual Hurricane Hop.
“Because it's a prom dance, I picked out my outfit, and it looks very good,” said Joel Aracena-Castro, Mahanoy Area Life Skills student.
Students from all over Schuylkill County found themselves at Schuylkill Haven Area High School to make sure students living with disabilities get that traditional prom experience.
“It's very exciting because I dance, I eat, I drink,” mentioned Trevor Cappela, Schuylkill Haven Life Skills student.
“It's all pretty accurate, they got the food here, they got the bangers playing, everybody is having a great time, jumping around,” added Shawn Butler, North Schuylkill student volunteer.
Other students volunteered their time to ensure their classmates feel like every other high schooler.
“It's very heartwarming just seeing everyone have a good time and taking a break from school, taking a step back and focusing on what really matters,” explained Maddy Bensinger, Schuylkill Haven Area student volunteer.
Many students agree the best part of the Hurricane Hop is spending it on the dance floor.
“I like to dance with my friends,” Austin Smitters, North Schuylkill Life Skills student, said.
“When you get into a rhythm and pattern, then it's easy to do it, and then the time goes by so quickly in the day,” Cody Berger, Blue Mountain Life Skills student, mentioned.
Making sure students of all abilities get the chance to have the true high school experience.
“It shows that they can do anything. And that's a really important mindset to have because you can't look at it as being disabled, you look at it as being differently abled. So it's not being able to function as a normal person, it's being able to function, just differently,” added Butler.
Nearly a dozen different Schuylkill County school districts filled the gym at Schuylkill Haven Area High School and plan to do it again next year.
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