Costumes for a Cause with World of Change

In the words of Helen Keller, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” This year, Atwood Primary and Williams Elementary have made it their goal to begin reconnecting the two buildings and the students and staff that create the two school communities. As their own little schools they do incredible things year in and year out for students and families. The staff in each building work tirelessly to form connections and relationships with all who come through the doors. They began reflecting on years past when they would have combined parades and other events and they feel it is time to bring those shared experiences back. On October 31, they are excited to announce they will be having a parade! The two schools will be wearing “Costumes for a Cause” on Halloween! When planning this event, they wanted to stay true to their mission behind rekindling the connection between the schools and that is that they are better together. Over the past few years they have gone through immense changes from being open school houses filled with volunteers, community involvement, and field trips, to closed doors and remote learning, to back in school, but isolated and relearning how school would operate, to now being back to open doors wanting that complete home, school, community circle whole once again. So in order to celebrate how far they have come and how they are all BETTER TOGETHER, they are inviting the entire community to join them in celebrating this monumental parade where they will be joining together to make a difference. For their parade they will be joined by The World of Change Truck out of Portland, Maine. World of Change is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) charitable organization who not only benefits children as receivers of change, they empower children to be the change! Two weeks prior to the parade, The World of Change visited both the Atwood Primary School and Williams Elementary School to kickoff a change drive within the schoolhouses. Each classroom received a jar to collect spare change from home and then on Halloween, when they hold their Costumes for a Cause Parade, they will march through downtown Oakland and all come together with the World of Change Truck at the Atwood Primary School to deposit all of their collected change into the truck. The funds they collect will be shared between the school emergency funds and first responders to the Lewiston crisis. They are inviting their community and families to line the streets and bring their spare change for students to collect along the parade route as they welcome back this beloved celebration! They will join together to make a difference for those closest to their hearts, and celebrate the powerful connection that is between home, school, and community. “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”