L.E.A.D. (Law Enforcement Against Drugs & Violence) to Host L.E.A.D. Summerfest Carnival at Westfield Garden State Plaza

Second Carnival in Paramus This Season Will Support L.E.A.D.’s Mission to Bridge the Gap Between Police Officers and Communities

PARAMUS, NJ – July 11, 2024 – L.E.A.D. (Law Enforcement Against Drugs & Violence), a nationwide nonprofit that works with communities to help students understand the dangers of drugs and violence, is hosting the L.E.A.D. Summerfest Carnival at the Westfield Garden State Plaza, its second carnival at the venue this L.E.A.D. Fest season. From July 18 to July 28, people among the Paramus community and other folks in surrounding towns are invited to enjoy different amusement rides, food and entertainment at the carnival. Previously, L.E.A.D. hosted the L.E.A.D. Fest Carnival at the Westfield Garden State Plaza from May 23 to June 9.

The hours for the carnival are as follows:

Monday – Friday: 5 p.m. to close

Saturday/Sunday: 3 p.m. to close

“This will be our last time hosting a L.E.A.D. Fest event at the west section of the Westfield Garden State Plaza, which is bittersweet as we’ve been doing so for years,” said Nick DeMauro, CEO of L.E.A.D. “We’ll be back at the same venue next year but in a different part of the Garden State Plaza. We’re extremely excited to come back to Paramus a second time during this L.E.A.D. Fest season as it’s something that we’ve never done before.”

“We normally get a large turnout at the carnivals that we hold at the Garden State Plaza, so we look forward to ending our carnival season on a high note as we continue to further our efforts in educating children on the dangers of drugs and violence and strengthening the relationship between law enforcement agencies and communities across the country,” added Mr. DeMauro.

L.E.A.D. provides services “On The Street” and “In The Classroom” as it brings law enforcement and communities closer together. The “In The Classroom” program is taught by more than 5000 trained instructors in 45 states, who are serving more than 500,000 students in 2,500 school systems. L.E.A.D. has a proven-effective, law enforcement-focused anti-drug, anti-violence curriculum for K–12 students in the U.S. The L.E.A.D. curriculum is taught over the course of a 10-week program to educate youth on how they can make smart decisions without the involvement of drugs or violence.

Admission to attend the L.E.A.D. Summerfest Carnival is $5, and midway will be provided by Reithoffer Shows. Please visit https://www.theleadfest.com/p/events/garden-state-plaza to purchase discounted ride tickets and mega passes in advance of the event, which include admission. For more information or to donate, please visit https://www.leadrugs.org/.

About L.E.A.D.

L.E.A.D. provides the leadership, resources and management to ensure law enforcement agencies have the means to partner with educators, community leaders and families. L.E.A.D. succeeds by providing proven effective programs to deter youth and adults from drug use, drug related crimes, bullying and violence. L.E.A.D. is committed to reinforcing the mutual respect, goodwill and relations between law enforcement and their communities. For more information, visit https://www.leadrugs.org/.