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Bay Path contributes with its Giving Tree

Date: 12/28/2010

LONGMEADOW — Bay Path College's Education Club is making the season a little brighter for area families with its annual Giving Tree. A Bay Path tradition, the Education Club decorates a "Giving Tree" and works with area schools to select families who are in need during the holiday season.
Alice B. Beal Elementary School Principal Linda Fenlason (left) and PTO President Sarah Tsitso accept gifts on behalf of a Beal school family who will open the presents during the holidays. Bay Path Education Club's Secretary Carli Flanagan '12 of Whitman, second from left; Co-President Kim Fejes '12 of New Fairfield, Conn.; Vice President Tiffany Gould '12 of West Haven, Conn.; and Melissa Tharau of Bethlehem, Conn., collected the gifts as part of the Club's annual Giving Tree event.
This year, the Education Club worked with Alice B. Beal Elementary School and Sumner Avenue Elementary School to help two families in need during the holidays. By working with the schools' principals, the Bay Path students received a wish list and ideas about other presents the families' children would like for the holidays.

The club then returned to Bay Path, where they decorated the Giving Tree with paper ornaments that named the children's holiday wishes. Passersby selected an ornament with a specific gift then purchased the present for the child. This year, the club was able to donate gift baskets to the parents and 80 presents to a total of five children, two of whom are homeless.

"Every year, Bay Path's Education Club has helped the neediest families so that they will have a wonderful holiday," said Sumner Avenue Principal Lisa Bakowski. "We are extremely thankful for the work they do, be it in our classrooms or their community service projects. They are making a difference in these families lives."

In addition to the annual Giving Tree, the Education Club collected nearly 1,800 books for the recent Book IT! book drive and they will continue to raise funds next semester for their bi-annual Dictionary Drive, which benefits Springfield schools.

For more information about Bay Path, visit www.baypath.edu.