Special needs party is a holiday highlight

Planning a holiday party for 500 to 1,000 people is a daunting task, but Rick Montalbano of Naperville and Joe Harrington of Aurora wouldn't have it any other way.

Even if money is tight and donations aren't coming in as much as previous years.

They're just not going to disappoint the special needs Scouts who will attend the fifth annual holiday party from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16, at Harvest Bible Chapel, 1805 Highpoint Drive, Naperville.

"The smiles on their faces will just blow you away," said Montalbano, vice president of Boy Scouts of America, Three Fires Council Special Needs Committee, and president of the Santiago chapter of Order of Alhambra Organization, the sponsors of the party.

The term "Scouts" is used broadly, Montalbano said.

Those coming to the party have the minds of children, but they range in age from 16 to 80. They include women from the Boy Scouts' Learning for Life program, and they come from as far away as Lake Zurich, Lansing and Chicago.

"Most of them are wards of the state and don't have a family to go home to. This is the only Christmas they get," Harrington said.

The party includes lunch, a visit from Santa, gifts and, best of all, a DJ and dancing.

"That's the highlight, right there," Montalbano said.

For the first three years, the party was held at a banquet hall, but with tightening finances, Montalbano turned to his Naperville church to host the event.

He said a party of that size normally would cost at least $50,000 to $60,000, but with donations and discounts on prices, they are able to put it on for $25,000 to $28,000.

This year, a Boy Scout and his father donated 2,000 presents. Other Scout troops and youth from the church wrapped them, Harrington said.

Each special needs partygoer will receive two gifts and a stuffed animal, he said.

"We've got enough for 1,000 folks," Harrington said.

Alhambra is a Catholic fraternal organization that supports the mentally disabled, but Montalbano said the Santiago chapter has broadened its membership base to include men and women of other Christian denominations.

Alhambra started teaming up with the Boy Scouts about five years ago, he said.

"The largest special needs pack in the country is right here," he said.

Alhambra and the Scouts Special Needs Committee also sponsor a picnic in the summer, a Halloween party and, when finances permit, outings to ball games, theater shows and other special events.

"We get them out, get them active," Montalbano said. "This impacts their health unbelievably."

The outings help fill an unmet need because the state provides no funding for social and recreational activities, Harrington said.

A group of more than 40 of the Scouts participate in a modified Scouting program that Harrington and Montalbano lead on Thursdays at the Ray Graham Association Community Learning Center in Lisle. Harrington said they hope to expand the program to other locations.

But right now, the focus is on the holiday party. Some 45 to 50 leaders from traditional Scout troops help provide the staffing, but other volunteers are welcome, Montalbano said.

"Anyone who wants to volunteer, it would change their life, too," he said.

To volunteer or donate to the party, contact Rick Montalbano at (708) 417-4464 or rickir@wowway.com.