By Wendy Humphrey
West Windsor, N.J. — During a recent performance at the Camp College Variety Show at Mercer County Community College, young jugglers impressed their fellow campers as they juggled beanbags, balanced devil sticks, tossed rings and spun objects in the air. Their newly acquired skills are the result of "Juggling Workshop," a Camp College class taught by Louis De Lauro, a fifth grade teacher at John P. Faber School in Dunellen. De Lauro founded the juggling program at Camp College over 20 years ago and has returned to the MCCC campus this summer after working at several other camps in recent years.
De Lauro is also the founder and president of the nonprofit organization, Juggling Life Inc., which takes its juggling act on the road all year long. Student volunteers present workshops and performances for children with cancer and chronic illnesses, as well as homeless children. De Lauro hopes many of his young MCCC jugglers will one day volunteer for Juggling Life.
On July 14, Camp College hosted a bake sale that raised more than $450 for the organization, which will help cover insurance, equipment and travel costs. Said Camp College teacher Jenna Mihalow, who assisted with the bake sale, "There are so many ill and disadvantaged children. We want to do all we can to help."
De Lauro, who started Juggling Life as a club at the Faber School in 2004, recalls one of the group’s many rewarding hospital visits. "Explaining our mission to a nurse once, I told her that we can’t cure cancer, but we aim to bring smiles to patients’ faces. She said to me, ‘With all the happiness you bring, for a few minutes, everyone is cancer-free.’ Our goal is to help kids and have some fun." At the end of July, Juggling Life will perform at HomeFront, a non-profit agency in Lawrenceville that provides a comprehensive network of services for the poor and homeless in Mercer County.
Twice featured on Good Morning America, Juggling Life volunteers include dedicated youngsters and teens, as well as college students and grads. De Lauro himself learned to juggle at age 14 with friends at Lawrence High School. They often performed at community events and art festivals.
After attending MCCC and then Rider University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and American Studies, De Lauro was inspired to recreate his juggling act following a trip to a Ronald McDonald Camp in Greeley, Pa., where his parents volunteered. The rest is history.
"I think every youngster likes to juggle," De Lauro says. He hopes to make Juggling Life a national charity that will travel around the world. "Juggling involves a lot of hand-eye coordination, but it’s not only about that. It also builds self-confidence. We hope to get more Mercer area kids on board."
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