On April 8, the Cranston High School East 2020 class council made a significant shared sacrifice – donating a large portion of cash set aside for their senior prom.
The money was used to support health care workers at the Scandinavian Communities Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing, located in Edgewood, providing meals for people on every shift.
The effort was spearheaded by Cranston East teacher Michael Delrosso, who described the evolution from prom planning to pandemic support.
“Our prom was scheduled June 3 at Quidnessett Country Club, and we were talking a lot about decorations, flower arrangements,” he said. “We were putting our budget together on how much we wanted to spend on different things. Then, people started expressing that these things were not as meaningful as they were a month ago. Suddenly, it all did not seem as significant. So, we came up with an idea to reallocate some of the funds that we had earmarked for decorations and centerpieces. We wanted to do something to give back to the community.”
Genesis Aldana, senior class president, was able to help her academic community put the situation into perspective by focusing on the future.
“We are trying to look at is as, there are good things. Going to college is a huge step. Taking on the next four years is going to change who we are,” she said.
Delrosso guided and advised the class council in the choice to give back to the community.
Ultimately, the class of 2020 decided to support Tropical Smoothie Café in Garden City, which had been financially impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, by purchasing meals for each shift at Scandinavian Communities.
The group felt that financially supporting a local business that could, in turn, feed hardworking medical professionals would provide the community the greatest level of support.
And it proved to be.
The students were recognized by WPRI on April 9 and encouraged the surrounding high school communities to “pay it forward’, by allocating some of their class funds to support the local COVID-19 crisis.
Robin Coia, a lifelong Cranston resident and member of Cranston East class of 1980, decided to join in the effort after watching a news feature about the class of 2020.
“Since the class of 2020 had already chosen Scandinavian Home,” Coia explained, “which is the nursing home in the eastern part of the city, I decided to choose The Cedars, which is on the other side of the city.”
Wanting to keep their business local, she and the members of the class of 1980 pooled their resources and brought food from Uncle Tony’s to The Cedars on April 29.
Not wanting much credit for her act of kindness, Coia turned the spotlight back on East’s class of 2020.
“Hats off to the class of 2020,” Coia said, “specifically Genesis Aldana, the class president. And I just found it very inspiring that this generation is so giving despite all that's going on right now. Their entire senior year has been totally lost. And to look at something they’ve been looking forward to their whole lives, and turn that around to do something good – pay it forward – I think it just speaks volumes as to what a great, great group of kids they are.”
Coia said she has challenged East’s classes of 1978 and 1979, 1978 and 1988, as well as Cranston High School’s class of 1957 to “pay it forward” as well.
Colette Silverman, executive director of Scandinavian Communities, thanked Cranston East in a video shared by Channel 12, and stated she was floored by the class of 2020’s generosity in covering meals for all three shifts.
“It was really nice that they didn’t just bring food for the first shift,” Silverman said. “They did it for all three shifts. So, the staff was so appreciative, and I was really appreciative because those people are really our heroes right now, coming into work every day and taking care of the residents when they don’t have families available.”
In a letter written to their class prior to the donation, the class council shared, “Whatever disappointments we are facing, they are no comparison to the sacrifices to people who are working long hours to care for our most vulnerable.”
Maria del Pilar Antigua Brito, vice president of 2020 class council, explained that after the donation, their council has been actively reaching out to local high schools, urging them to pay their funds forward as well, but stated any further efforts on East’s part should go to its seniors.
“We think it would be great to continue to give back to our community, but we also want to consider our seniors,” Brito explained. She hopes, along with her class council, to find a meaningful and memorable way to commemorate this time.
Brito said that Cranston West and Coventry had both joined in, donating food to medical providers, and has been in contact with other local student governments, who are in the process of formulating plans of their own.
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