Arts & Entertainment
The Fresh Air Fund Summer Program Has Begun
Buses of children arrived at Moose Hall for a week of new experiences.
Late Monday Moose Hall in Marlborough was alive with the hustle and bustle of families waiting to greet their “Fresh Air” child(ren). As part of The Fresh Air Fund, 37 youngsters age 6 to 18 traveled from New York to Marlborough to spend a week with local host families. For many of the families it was a repeat visit.
Children with handmade signs waited anxiously for the arrival of the much anticipated buses. “This is our fifth year with Modibo,” said Julie Fay who waited enthusiastically with her children Gillian, Lincoln and Owen. “He was just nine when we first met and now he is 14, going into high school, and over six feet tall.” There is a sense amongst the crowd that many of the children on their way from New York are knit into the fabric of their host families.
The Fresh Air Fund is a non-profit agency which has matched up more than 1.7 million inner city children from New York with local families since 1877. Here in Marlborough, the tradition continues. In one short week friendships are formed and bonds are forged. Through shared experiences, both exciting and mundane, differences melt away and the seeds of something special are planted.
