WESTFIELD – Students in the allied health program at Westfield Vocational-Technical High School (WVTHS) will be wrapping presents – and collecting donations for their efforts – at The Bon-Ton on East Main Street on Black Friday.
The students are hoping to raise enough to travel to New York City in the spring and will also be at the store the following four Saturdays until Christmas, wrapping presents from 8 a.m to 5 p.m each day.
“We are going to visit the reflection pool outside of the 9/11 Memorial, as well as the 9/11 Museum,” said Maureen Baillargeon, who has been an instructor in allied health at the school for 13 years. “Many first-responders passed away during that event and our students have done some shadowing and interning with the Westfield Fire Department. We also have a medical reserve corps here.”
Allied health is a certified nurse training program which has a 100 percent graduation rate, according to Baillargeon, adding that there have been WVTHS students who have gone on to take the Emergency Medical Technician course at Westfield State University.
In addition to visiting the site of the former World Trade Center, Baillargeon said her students will also be visiting Ellis Island. With a student body composed largely of children of Russian, Ukrainian and Moldovian descent, Baillargeon said she expects many of the first-generation Americans in her shop to be floored by the experience.
“How the immigrants came in, going through a six-second medical exam for pink eye… the signing of the book, seeing generation after generation of people,” she said. “I think they’ll be fascinated.”
Baillargeon said that there are usually 48 students in the allied health shop spread out between four grades and that she anticipates that many attending the trip.
“We don’t have our freshmen yet, but the trip isn’t planned until the first week in May,” she said, adding that a full load of freshmen is usually 12 students.
Last year, the students took a bus trip to Boston’s Prudential Center, a trip which also included one of the city’s famed duck tours, among other activities.
Baillargeon said that the bus to Boston cost around $1,100 for the day, money which they raised $700 toward by holdng bake sales at Amelia Park Ice Arena last year.
“It would be nice to, with these five dates, get close to covering the bus,” she added. “We’re looking to raise $1,200-1,300.”
Linda Wagar, general manager of the Westfield Bon-Ton, is excited to give the students a place to wrap presents and help fund their trip.
“They approached us to come in, gift wrap and use our PA system,” said Wagar, adding that her store has helped numerous community organizations such as the Greater Westfield Boys and Girls Club with their events in the past.
“It’s a good cause. We do a lot of things for Westfield and we’re always willing to help out all of the organizations,” said Wagar.
“Right from midnight on through, it should be very steady,” she said. “We have a huge clientele that comes out for this event (Black Friday).”
