GMS student raises funds in honor of reading buddy

Lucy Falcone, left, is pictured with her friend Jenny Wolicki at this year’s MDSC Buddy Walk.

At the John F. Kennedy Elementary School, students of all ages share the playground. Sometimes the fifth graders use it; sometimes the first graders use it.

Last fall, one first grade girl, Lucy Falcone, was having so much fun that she didn’t want to leave the playground. A fifth grader, Jenny Wolicki, was standing on the playground with her friends and noticed Falcone.

“She looked adorable,” Wolicki said of Falcone. “I had seen her on the playground before and I asked if I could be her reading buddy.”

The fifth graders read stories to the younger children, and Wolicki and Falcone were partnered. Wolicki read “Curious George,” “The Berenstain Bears,” and other books to her buddy.

“I can always tell when she’s listening,” Wolicki said, describing how Falcone was able to take the books afterwards and read them to herself.

This year, Wolicki is a sixth grade student at the Galvin Middle School, but she partnered with Falcone again by raising $740 for the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress (MDSC) Buddy Walk. She was the second highest fundraiser on Team Lucy, named for Falcone, who has Down syndrome. Team Lucy raised the highest amount of money for the third year in a row.

According to the MDSC’s website, the Buddy Walk, an advocacy initiative, was developed by the National Down Syndrome Society in 1995 to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness month in October, to promote acceptance and inclusion of people with Down syndrome, and to raise money for education, advocacy and research programs on both the local and national levels.

Wolicki read an article about Lucy and the Buddy Walk, which was held October 9 at Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield. She registered and then asked relatives, camp counselors and friends of her parents for donations. She thoroughly enjoyed the three-mile walk and the picnic that followed.

“I thought it was a really cool atmosphere,” she said. “Everyone looked so happy. I enjoyed being with Lucy.”

“I was so proud of her,” said Jenny’s mother, Sandy Wolicki. “She did a great job raising money for a good cause.”

“Jenny is such a good friend to Lucy,” said Lucy’s grandmother, Beverly Beckham. “She wrote a letter last year saying how much she loves Lucy. She’s amazing and sincere. It means a lot to us.”

Wolicki’s actions have inspired four of Lucy’s cousins to join in the fundraising. They opened a stand and sold hot cocoa on the first cool day this fall.

“In our family, she’s raised the bar a little,” Beckham said. “She leads the way. It’s kind of inspirational.”

“Jenny is amazing,” said Lucy’s mother, Lauren Falcone. “She will never know how much it means to us that she went out on her own and raised money for Team Lucy and the MDSC. We take such joy in the fact that Jenny and Lucy are friends.”

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Posted by Mary Ann Price on Oct 19 2011. Filed under News, Schools. Both comments and pings are currently closed.