Ridge High students shared the dance floor with Matheny adult resident Yasin Reddick. From left, Emily Parker, Anna Hess and Sarah Desatnick.

The theme was “Arabian Nights”; the music was provided by the B.D. Lenz Band and deejay Craig Soprano; the decorations were created by Matheny’s Recreation Therapy Department; and music therapists accompanied belly dancers as students and patients entered the Skylands in Randolph, NJ, for the Matheny Prom, held on Thursday, May 14.

The prom is widely anticipated by the teenagers and adults at Matheny. The girls and young women in attendance received a special beauty treatment earlier in the afternoon given by volunteers from Kaleidoscope Hair & Body Artistry in Basking Ridge, NJ. And the evening was enlivened by the attendance of several members of The Junior Friends of Matheny—students from nearby Bernards and Ridge High Schools—who brought a special community spirit to the event, serving as dancing partners and good friends to the promgoers.

The prom is an example of Matheny’s efforts to enrich the quality of life for people with developmental disabilities. The evening was coordinated by the Recreation Therapy Department, which is responsible for providing students and patients with a variety of recreation opportunities and resources to improve their physical, emotional, cognitive and social well-being. The event was funded by a donation from Novartis.

Raissa Rojas, left, and Emily Maheras of Bernards High on the dance floor with Matheny student, Mohamed El Yamany.

Adult patient Rasheedah Mahali with, from left, James O'Brien of Metuchen, NJ, Mike Berezny of Peapack, NJ, and Matheny social worker Kelly Haldaman of Bethelehem, PA.

Lelica Palecco, a vocalist with the B.D. Lenz All-Star Band, surveyed the room at The Skylands in Randolph, NJ, and proclaimed, “I’ve never seen a better looking group.” The occasion was The Matheny Prom. The stylish crowd was a mixture of Matheny students and adult patients, family members, volunteers from the community and staff members.

This eagerly anticipated event is but one example of how Matheny does everything possible to enhance the quality of life for its students and patients. The theme of this year’s prom was “A Sweet Escape,” and for four hours everyone did just that—forgetting about their disabilities and concentrating on having a good time.

The Prom was funded by a generous contribution from the Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation in East Hanover, NJ.

Matheny student (and Prom King) Yasin Reddick with Rachel, left, and Alyssa Scher of Red Bank.

The Monmouth County-based organization is made up of about 1,300 volunteers including more than 80 professional musicians. Founded in 1993 by restaurateur and musician Tim McLoone, Holiday Express visits some 50 institutions every year between November and the end of December. The band also performs every May at the Matheny Prom, held at the Skylands in Randolph.

While most of the band members are from Monmouth County, there are some local participants: Byron Smith from Bedminster, Alan Grant from Bridgewater and Anthony Perruso from Rockaway. In addition, a Matheny parent, Jim Yedloutschnig of Cedar Grove, whose daughter Alicia, is an adult patient, often joins the band’s trumpet section.

Matheny students, patients and their families look forward to the Holiday Express event every year. Highlights include participation by the Matheny Choir, the signature HE song, “Nobody Ought to Be Alone on Christmas” and the group competition on “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”

The concert will be held from noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 11, in the Robert Schonhorn Arts Center on the Matheny campus in Peapack.

Above:  Holiday Express band member Byron Smith with his daughters, Courtney, left, and Jordan.

Below: Matheny student Bryan Desatnick with the Holiday Express dancers.