by Sean Ruppert, Staff Writer
Planning a party for an entire township is no easy task.
Especially if you are trying to include something for everyone in a community as large and diverse as South Brunswick is today.
Yet that’s exactly what Diana and Steven Reichenstein set out to do when they took on the task of planning the 2008 Community Unity Day, to be held Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. at Woodlot Park on New Road. This is the first year the couple has co-chaired the committee that plans the event, which is part of the South Brunswick Municipal Alliance Against Substance Abuse. The two made painstaking efforts to find what people would really like to see at the annual celebration.
”We did an autopsy of what we did in the last few years, and did a lot of brainstorming,” Ms. Reichenstein said. “We really tried to figure out anything that may have been lacking, especially as the township evolves and the demographics change.”
One of the first steps was to gauge public opinion, first by visiting a health fair at in the South Brunswick High School gymnasium earlier this year. Mr. Reichenstein said that they placed a large sketchpad on an easel and wrote “Fall Festival,” at the top. He said they asked every kid who came by to write down something that they would enjoy doing at such a festival. Before long, several pages of the pad had been filled with ideas for the day.
”They responded very well,” Mr. Reichenstein said. “What really seemed to come through was that they wanted to see more live music, more dance, animals, more food and a lot of games and contests.”
Not satisfied with just that level of input, the Reichensteins continued to search for ideas and opinions. They met with South Brunswick School District Superintendent Gary McCartney, teachers from different schools and grade levels, PTOs and children’s librarians. Mr. Reichenstein said he would even go to parks around town and just talk to kids who were hanging out.
”We are concentrating a lot on teens and tweens, but going through the grammar the school system with my kids as well, I wanted to make sure there were things for younger kids as well,” Ms. Reichenstein said. “We want to appeal to everyone and have them be part of the community.”
The duo extended their efforts to meet the desires of adults as well. They met and shared ideas with representatives from the Senior Center, as well as various cultural groups. Mr. Reichenstein said the event will feature Asian dance and a Bollywood performance to highlight the town’s growing populations and diversity.
”This has really become a global town,” Mr. Reichenstein said. “We speak about 39 different languages and have many different houses of worships. We are trying to bring everyone together and put the picture together, have one day where everyone is together.”
Musical entertainment will be provided by area band Slo Motion, which plays a mix of popular cover songs. Hip-hop dance troop Face de Phlav will also perform, along with representatives from local dance schools and some Indian and Sri Lankan dancers, according to Mr. Reichenstein.
The event begins at noon, and an opening ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. and feature a moment of silence for veterans and a performance by the South Brunswick High School marching band.
There will be a scavenger hunt, potato sack race and other competitions for kids and adults. For those interested in video games, Best Buy on Route 1 is providing four 52-inch plasma TVs for the day with a mix of games including “Guitar Hero.” Krazy House Customs on Route 1 will be displaying a monster truck.
For adults there will be many vendors with arts and crafts and other wares to browse, including a representative from Bodner Auctions who will do free appraisals of items brought by residents.
The event also will have a free raffle for everyone who shows up, including prizes such as bikes, Waterford crystal and gift certificates to local stores and eateries.
A bloodmobile, health screenings from St. Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, the bookmobile and a Red Cross truck that simulates being in a fire also will be on hand.
The free event also will serve as the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly renovated Community Center, which has been closed for remodeling since April. U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J. is expected to attend.

