The Red Carpet Welcome events at community schools mark the start of a busy and exciting year for students across Erie County. The high fives and cheers from volunteers representing various corporate and lead partners along with welcome back hugs from teachers, principals, community school directors and staff created a wildly enthusiastic start to the academic school year for both students and their families this week.
According to Mike Williams, Vice President of Widget Financial, a Corporate Partner for Iroquois Elementary, "Widget Financial is proud to be a supporter of the Iroquois Community School program. Participating in the annual red carpet day is one of our staff’s favorite activities. Many of these students and their families are members of Widget Financial, and it is important to us to make sure they have an excellent school year!"
“I believe volunteering at events like Red Carpet Day is not only rewarding but essential in nurturing these students’ self-esteem. It only takes a moment to make a difference. A smile, a hug, a 'you can do this' can mean the world to a child," said Mary Mando, Subcontract Services Coordinator, Eriez.
"This is how we kick off the school year and welcome our students back. We are always so excited to see them and just give their families a warm welcome back to school," said Amy Grande, McKinley Elementary's community school director.
The start of the 2022-23 academic year this week and next, the students now being served at 16 schools locally has grown to 8,824 students, more than 2,000 since last year.
Red Carpet 2022
Tuesday Aug 30th, 2022