“Aloha’s!” were exchanged between each Arc member as they entered the Knights of Columbus Hall for The Arc of Pearl River County’s third annual luau dance party Thursday night. As they walked into paradise, they picked up their grass skirts, to compliment their Hawaiian shirts, before swinging their hips on the dance floor.

Hula lessons were not necessary during the authentic island-inspired party as participants displayed their kâholo skills while sporting leis and decorative flowers that brought smiles to everyone at the event.

In between dancing, activities such as limbo, a beach ball throw and a photo booth entertained participants and got everyone in the paradise mood.

The luau kicked off the summer for the Arc participants as they are all looking forward to a fun-filled season, spending time with one another, playing outside and taking advantage of the crisp Mississippi days to relax.

But before relaxation set in, multiple Arc participants said they wanted to have a good time, make memories and dance the night away.

Hosted by the Picayune chapter of the Knights of Columbus, members of the KoC cooked island-inspired dinners for the luau attendees, along with a tiki bar serving fruity Hawaiian juice drinks featuring small umbrellas.

“None of this wouldn’t have been possible without the help of the Knights of Columbus,” Morrow said. “They do so much for us and volunteer their time to make sure these members of The Arc have a great time. I couldn’t thank them enough.”

Once everyone had their share of the barbeque chicken served for dinner, it was back to the dance floor where participants mingled, shook their tail feathers and showed excitement for what this year’s summer has to offer.

“All of the members of The Arc have the summer off, meaning we don’t have any events like this until around October so this is kind of their last fling and they really seem to enjoy it,” Morrow said.

After dinner, Morrow said the participants formed their own conga line and paraded around the Columbus Hall in good spirits.

“They enjoy dressing up and dancing the most and this party had a lot of both,” Morrow said, adding that there were 140 participants at the luau dance party Thursday.

In order to keep providing events like this for The Arc intellectual and developmental disabled citizens in Pearl River County, Morrow said it is essential to get support from the community through donations.

“Unlike most organizations that thrive off of donations, ours do not go to the state. Instead, every penny of every donation stays local and tends to the individuals of the community,” she said.

To donate, visit The Arc of Pearl River County’s Facebook page.