Thursday, May 21, 2020
www.plainvillecitizen.com
Volume 19, Number 15
‘Adopt a Senior’ effort commences
In 2020, Make-A-Wish walk is a different experience By Everett Bishop Record-Journal staff
When the going gets tough, the tough stick together. On Saturday, the Make-AWish foundation hosted its annual Walk For Wishes fundraising event. In order to continue the yearly trek during the pandemic, the Make-A-Wish Foundation introduced a new walk where people could participate in their own neighborhoods while maintaining social distancing.
“They usually host the walk at Lake Compounce with hundreds of people. This is the first year they’re hosting a virtual walk,” said Plainville resident Kim Shumbo, who organized a walk at her home for friends and neighbors. “It started off with just me, my sisters and my niece and nephews and then I called the Plainville police and asked if we could do a social distanced walk,” Shumbo said. “And then it just grew from there.”
Shumbo and her family have been involved with Walk For Wishes the past four years. Her son Braden was granted a wish from the foundation in 2018 — a Disney trip, including a private, moonlit safari with his family. Across the state, people joined the walk to help raise money for children with lifethreatening illnesses. As of 2 p.m. Saturday, participants in Connecticut raised over $32,000. See Walk, A12
The “Adopt a Senior 2020” initiative was created as a way to enhance this year’s non-traditional senior year events and graduation day festivities, in light of the current pandemic and restrictions on public gatherings. The “Adopt a Senior 2020” program invites members of the local community to “adopt” a Plainville High School senior by making a financial donation, which will be used to create “care packages” for each of the 158 members of the Plainville High School senior class. The care packages will be distributed in June.
“We would like to present each of our seniors with a send-off that they will remember,” explained Plainville High School Parent Advisory Council Secretary Lisa Levesque. “The kids have worked very hard to get to this point in their education, and this will allow us to put together some really great tokens of their time here in Plainville and celebrate their accomplishments.” Members of the community can “adopt” a PHS senior for a suggested donation of $20 (up to any dollar amount). No donation is too small, and all donations will be used to purchase gift cards and other items for the graduation care packages. wish to donate to the “Adopt a Senior 2020 program” may do so as follows : Via check made payable to: See Adopt, A11
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Kim Shumbo organized a neighborhood walk with friends and family for this year's Walk For Wishes fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation on Saturday, May 16. Shumbo's son, Braden, is a Make-A-Wish child. Photos by Everett Bishop, Record-Journal
While end-of-year activities and plans for the Plainville High School Class of 2020 graduation on June 12 are underway, a unique program has been developed by school and district administration, together with the high school’s Parent Advisory Council, as a tribute to the graduating senior class.