Student holds benefit concert in Holliston for return trip to Romania
By Kelsey Abbruzzese/Daily News correspondent
Tue Sep 01, 2009, 08:46 AM EDT
A Rivers School senior hoping to return to Romania and help abandoned and disabled children there is holding a benefit concert in Holliston to raise money for her trip.
Alicia Palmisano, who grew up in Holliston and now lives in Natick, first went to Romania as part of a school service trip in March 2008. After playing with babies who had been abandoned at a hospital, doing art projects at an after-school program and helping Gypsy children with their homework, Palmisano and four others decided a six-day trip was too short.
She and the other students are looking to raise about $1,500 to cover trip expenses for another visit in May with Romanian Children's Relief. Palmisano has organized the concert with her Weston school's ensemble, The Rivers School Conservatory Honors Marimba Ensemble.
"You fall in love with the kids and feel like the trip was way too short, even though you were there for six days," Palmisano said yesterday. "Once you get into rhythm and get to know the kids well, it's time to leave. I want to go back and see if anything's improved."
The concert will take place Sept. 20 at 11:30 a.m. in Palmisano's church, St. Michael's Episcopal in Holliston.
Eileen McHenry, executive director of Romanian Children's Relief in Southborough, said the combination of the recession, a moratorium on hiring government workers - which includes foster parents - and disappearing charity funds have left more children abandoned in Romania.
"With the economic crisis, Eastern Europe is taking a bigger hit and the poorest people are the ones feeling it most," McHenry said. "The babies end up spending months in the hospital. It's really bad."
Palmisano remembers many of the children she saw during her trip. She recalled giving a piggyback ride to one of the Gypsy children all afternoon, and then returning with the children to their homes. Their houses were one room off an alley, Palmisano said.
When the students were leaving to come back to Massachusetts, Palmisano said, the children tried jumping into their backpacks, saying, "Bring us to America!"
"We all had journals, and they wrote their names and wrote 'I love you' in Romanian," Palmisano said.
McHenry said she's happy to see Palmisano and her classmates want to return.
"We just thrive on their enthusiasm. We've been doing this a long time, and people forget about Romania. The rest of the world has moved on to other crises," McHenry said. "When you have young, energetic people come in and give you a boost, it's wonderful."
The ensemble has performed at Symphony Hall, the Tsai Center, various Boston hotels and local community centers, Palmisano said. She also said the concert will be free, but the group will be accepting donations for the trip.
Tue Sep 01, 2009, 08:46 AM EDT
A Rivers School senior hoping to return to Romania and help abandoned and disabled children there is holding a benefit concert in Holliston to raise money for her trip.
Alicia Palmisano, who grew up in Holliston and now lives in Natick, first went to Romania as part of a school service trip in March 2008. After playing with babies who had been abandoned at a hospital, doing art projects at an after-school program and helping Gypsy children with their homework, Palmisano and four others decided a six-day trip was too short.
She and the other students are looking to raise about $1,500 to cover trip expenses for another visit in May with Romanian Children's Relief. Palmisano has organized the concert with her Weston school's ensemble, The Rivers School Conservatory Honors Marimba Ensemble.
"You fall in love with the kids and feel like the trip was way too short, even though you were there for six days," Palmisano said yesterday. "Once you get into rhythm and get to know the kids well, it's time to leave. I want to go back and see if anything's improved."
The concert will take place Sept. 20 at 11:30 a.m. in Palmisano's church, St. Michael's Episcopal in Holliston.
Eileen McHenry, executive director of Romanian Children's Relief in Southborough, said the combination of the recession, a moratorium on hiring government workers - which includes foster parents - and disappearing charity funds have left more children abandoned in Romania.
"With the economic crisis, Eastern Europe is taking a bigger hit and the poorest people are the ones feeling it most," McHenry said. "The babies end up spending months in the hospital. It's really bad."
Palmisano remembers many of the children she saw during her trip. She recalled giving a piggyback ride to one of the Gypsy children all afternoon, and then returning with the children to their homes. Their houses were one room off an alley, Palmisano said.
When the students were leaving to come back to Massachusetts, Palmisano said, the children tried jumping into their backpacks, saying, "Bring us to America!"
"We all had journals, and they wrote their names and wrote 'I love you' in Romanian," Palmisano said.
McHenry said she's happy to see Palmisano and her classmates want to return.
"We just thrive on their enthusiasm. We've been doing this a long time, and people forget about Romania. The rest of the world has moved on to other crises," McHenry said. "When you have young, energetic people come in and give you a boost, it's wonderful."
The ensemble has performed at Symphony Hall, the Tsai Center, various Boston hotels and local community centers, Palmisano said. She also said the concert will be free, but the group will be accepting donations for the trip.
Labels: Gypsy, Gypsy Children, Romania
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