Big Hearts Little Hands

Big Hearts Little Hands “FLOWERS OF LOVE” Senior Tea

Big Hearts Little Hands is a wonderful, PTO-sponsored service project/event put on by all the students of Willard school. It is a great opportunity to teach our students about the gift of service, and for them to connect with the older generation of our community. The students are the hosts, and our guests are senior citizens of the community, including senior relatives, friends, and neighbors of students, and also residents of area nursing homes (some homes even sent a bus). Invite your senior neighbors to this event. Read more from the latest event in the Wednesday Journal.

Historically, every student was involved in some manner with different roles according to grade level — some directly interacted with our senior guests, and others worked “behind the scenes.”

  • First and fourth graders provided the choral music.
  • Pre-kindergarteners and kindergarteners decorated heart cutouts for the stage.
  • Second graders decorated thank you notes for sweet-treat favors, which are put together by Kindly Wizards with donations from local vendors.
  • Third graders played a prominent role, working in “shifts” as greeters, door holders, servers (assisted by parent volunteers), passing out favors and flowers, and helping our guests at the coat racks.

After the concert, our guests were directed to the gymnasium (you wouldn’t recognize it!) where they were seated and served hot tea, coffee, and a spread of delicious baked goods, baked by parent volunteers and donated by area bakeries. At the conclusion of the event, each guest was given a fresh carnation and a favor by one of our third grade students as they exited the gym.

We know parents love to watch their children perform, but for this event we ask you to please stay home so that we have plenty of seats for our community seniors unless you are volunteering (link at right).  The children will perform excerpts of concerts they have already performed for you or will be performing soon.

2023 marked the 35th Anniversary of this treasured event. In 2008, Madonna Weldon, the former Willard parent who founded Big Hearts Little Hands, passed away one month before the event’s 20th anniversary. Diane Mahoney was a Willard parent in 1988, and still remembers the PTO meeting where the program idea received a unanimous vote. We will continue to honor Mrs. Weldon’s memory with an engraved silver tea service set displayed at the center of the treats table.

Timing

Big Hearts Little Hands will be held on Friday, April 26, 2024. (NEW DATE)

Committee

Rachel Dardis, Chair
Beth Cohen
Megan Mackie
Paula Hoste
Amelia Eaton
Iana Isla
Meredith Maienza

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