Now that Celebration is no longer to be a part of the PTO, we are faced with some difficult choices. Assuming the kids and parents want this tradition to continue, we need to either join another local nonprofit organization or incorporate as one ourselves if we want to offer tax deductions for donations.
Ideally, Celebration encourages ninth- and 10th-grade parents to take lead roles so that they can step back once their children are in 11th and 12th grades. The reality of it is that parents whose kids graduated years ago are also actively involved because they believe Celebration is a good thing. With the volunteer base in town shrinking, we wonder if we will have a stable enough long-term volunteer base to make incorporation a reality.
It has been 20 years for Harvard without a prom night tragedy. Let’s keep this going so our children don’t have to know what it’s like to lose a classmate, friend, neighbor, or sibling as so many other communities have, and so we parents don’t have to live through that nightmare.
We welcome anyone who has legal expertise or other ideas on enabling us to keep this organization alive. We can bring fundraising ideas and volunteers and creativity to the table. We’re solvent and hard-working and fun-loving. Please get in touch if you think you can help. www.bromfieldcelebration.com.
Carolyn Grant on behalf of
the team leaders of Celebration,
Rosemary VanDorpe, Patty Wilkey
Robin Foley, Vicki Bilafer
