Molly Caron's Story
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Tuesday, March 18th at
7:00pm there will be a CCP
Summer 2008 Open House
at the Burt Wood School of
Performing Arts

The Children Arrived in Boston, MA -
Tuesday, June 26th!
Chernobyl Children's Project USA, Inc.

2007 Photos

Internationally Known
Photographer Offers
Headshot Clinic at The
Burt Wood School of
Performing Arts
click here for article

Lakeville teen's mission is
collecting stuffed animals
(please click below to find
out more on this story)
SouthCoastToday.com

Miss Massachusetts 2009, Amanda Kelly of Braintree, Miss Southcoast 2009, Alyson Levy of Lakeville/Raynham, and Miss Massachusetts Outstanding Teen 2009, Brianna Bostick of Taunton, during the Middleboro Holiday Parade, 2009.

 

 

Miss Massachusetts 2009 Amanda Kelly to host A Night of Wishes and Miracles.
Click here for more information...

 

Miss Massachusetts 2009, Amanda Kelly (seen in a crown) and Miss Southcoast 2008, Molly Whalen offered patriotic music for flag retirement ceremony.

 

Miss Massachusetts 2009 Amanda Kelly and Miss Southcoast 2008 Molly Whalen sing for the Oak Point Flag Retirement Ceremony on November 21st, 2009.

Click here for more photos...

Miss Massachusetts 2009, Amanda Kelly of Braintree, Miss Southcoast 2009, Alyson Levy of Lakeville/Raynham, and Miss Massachusetts Outstanding Teen 2009, Brianna Bostick of Taunton, sang for local Veteran's Day event.

Local Women (From Lakeville, Taunton, and Braintree) Participate in Veteran's Day Event

Miss Massachusetts 2009, Amanda Kelly of Braintree, Miss Southcoast 2009, Alyson Levy of Lakeville/Raynham, and Miss Massachusetts Outstanding Teen 2009, Brianna Bostick of Taunton, performed a program of patriotic songs at the Middleboro Veteran's Day event on Thursday, November 11th, 2009. All three women are students at The Burt Wood School of Performing Arts in Middleboro.

click here for more photos...

Taunton, Lakeville women perform at
Veterans Day event - read article...

 

St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry Drive: Help feed someone in need. We will be collecting food through December 14th.

 

 

ONE WARM COAT DRIVE - please bring in our gently used
coats to help people stay warm this winter!

We will be collecting coats through Dec 14th.

Lakeville girl generates holiday warmth with coat drive
- click here for the Wicked Local article online...

 

 

Warming people, one coat at a time

Addison Graham, a 10-year-old fourth-grader at Assawompset Elementary School in Lakeville, shows off one of the coats she has collected through One Warm Coat, a national organization that distributes gently used coats to the poor.
Click here for article...

Lakeville girl generates holiday warmth with coat drive
- click here for the Wicked Local article online...

 

Miss Massachusetts 2009, Amanda Kelly of Braintree, Miss Southcoast 2009, Alyson Levy of Lakeville/Raynham, and Miss Massachusetts Outstanding Teen 2009, Brianna Bostick of Taunton, wishing our Troops support throughout the holidays.

To assist Burt Wood student Addison Graham in her quest to provide a warm coat for everyone in need, we will be collecting gently used coats for ONE WARM COAT at the recital on Friday night, and at A Christmas Carol on Sunday. For more information on Addison's work with this amazing group, please click on the links below.
Warmly yours,
Miss Lorna

Warming people, one coat at a time
SouthCoastToday.com article...

Lakeville girl generates holiday warmth with coat drive
WickedLocal.com article...

 

RELAY FOR LIFE June 2009 Miss Lorna, Miss Melissa, and Miss Valerie sing for RELAY FOR LIFE 2009

 

 

Join Burt Wood Student Molly Whalen and her Making Strides Team with Miss Maureen Whalen and Miss Lorna Brunelle for the MAKING STRIDES WALK FOR BREAST CANCER

Date: Sunday, October 4, 2009 - Along the Charles River Esplanade Rolling start 8 - 10 a.m.
Location: DCR Hatch Memorial Shell

To Register for the Walk click HERE
To Donate click HERE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miss Massachusetts 2009 Amanda Kelly to sing National Anthem at Middleboro Town Meeting.

 

Miss Massachusetts 2009 Amanda Kelly To Sing National Anthem For
Annual Town Meeting

Miss Massachusetts 2009, Amanda Kelly will open the Monday, October 5th, 2009 Middleboro Town Meeting by singing the Star Spangled Banner at 7:00P.M. Amanda was crowned on July 11th, 2009, at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester, Massachusetts. Amanda will represent Massachusetts at the Miss America Pageant in January of 2010. Miss Kelly is a student at The Burt Wood School of Performing Arts. For moreinformation on Amanda Kelly visit missmass.org.

 

 

Miss Lorna and Burt Wood student
Addison Graham greet the Children of Chernobyl
at the Welcoming Ceremony in Boston, June 23rd, 2009.

Click here to see more
photos from the event.

 

Dartmouth girl to sing at 'Moving Wall' ceremony

Amy de Silva, shown last June at the Middleboro Moving Wall event with a New Bedford veteran named Dennis, will sing in Plymouth Sunday.

Amy de Silva will be singing "American Tears" at the Plymouth Vietnam Moving Wall closing ceremony at 5 p.m. Sunday.

Amy has been studying voice at The Burt Wood School of Performing Arts in Middleboro for several years. She has sung at many venues, including Fenway Park, the Massachusetts State House, the Middleboro Moving Wall, and at numerous benefits in New York and Pennsylvania for CMT Awareness.

Shortly after Amy sang at the Middleboro Moving Wall last June, a veteran named Dennis removed his Purple Heart from around his neck and placed it on Amy's neck.

Amy is 13 years old and lives in Dartmouth with her parents Bill and Catherine and her brother William.

"The Moving Wall" will be on the Plymouth Waterfront through Monday. A candlelight vigil will be held between 8 and 8:30 p.m. Saturday. The closing ceremony will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday. The Wall will be at Plymouth Memorial State Park on Water Street along Plymouth Harbor. The park is to the right of the Plymouth Rock Monument.

Lorna, Melissa, Valerie and Amy at the Plymouth Moving Wall, June 7th, 2009

"The Moving Wall" is the half-size replica of the Washington, D.C., Vietnam Veterans Memorial and has been touring the country for more than 20 years.

When John Devitt attended the 1982 dedication in Washington, he felt the positive power of "The Wall." He vowed to share that experience with those who did not have the opportunity to go to Washington.

John, Norris Shears, Gerry Haver, and other Vietnam veteran volunteers built The Moving Wall. It went on display for the first time in Tyler, Texas in October 1984. Two structures of The Moving Wall now travel the nation from April through November, spending about a week at each site.

 

Amy de Silva of Dartmouth, Alyson Levy of Raynham, and Devon Williams of Lakeville entertained a crowd at the Middleboro Council on Aging Mother's Day Concert last month.

 

Burt Wood students charm seniors
click here for the article on SouthCoastToday.com

 

Burt Wood students perform for the Middleboro Council on Aging Mother's Day Concert, May 5, 2009 - Aly Levy, Devon Williams and Amy de Silva. - photos -

Students of The Burt Wood School of Performing Arts in Middleboro offered a free Mother's Day Concert for guests at the Middleboro Council on Aging last month during their annual luncheon. Amy de Silva, Alyson Levy, and Devon Williams charmed with crowd with a blend of musical theatre and classic hits. For more information on scheduling students from The Burt Wood School for an appearance contact Lorna Brunelle at 508-946-1071.

 

 

 

Burt Wood School Students to Help Local Food Pantry

“Help Make an Easter Dinner for People in Need” will be the focus of the Burt Wood School of Performing Arts’ spring community service project. In conjunction with the St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry, donations will be collected at The Burt Wood School office on Mondays through Thursdays during their after-school hours. Based through the Sacred Heart Church in Middleboro, all donations will be distributed locally.

If interested in participating, please bring non-perishable items to the school office from 3:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. from Monday through Thursday. The Pantry is looking for all items but especially the following: coffee, pancake mix, syrup, Hamburger Helper, Ramen Noodles, pasta, Spaghettios, jelly, ketchup and Chef Boyardee, and also personal care items such as: toothpaste, toilet paper, shampoo and bar soap. Donations will be accepted in order to help the increased need for the Easter holiday (through Thursday, April 9th) but the school will continue to collect donations through the end of the school year. For more information, please see the website at Burtwoodschool.com or call the school at (508) 946-1071.

 

 

 

Local women to help children in need of care

BRAINTREE — Valerie J. Amaral, Miss Massachusetts 2007 and Molly Whalen of Middleboro will be participating in the Chernobyl Children Project USA Goodwill Gala on Friday, March 20 at the Sheraton Braintree at 7 p.m. The proceeds from the gala will help defray the cost of bringing over 100 children from the contaminated Chernobyl region to Massachusetts this summer for free medical care and American hospitality. click here for article...

 

Molly Caron enjoys some time at the piano with Morgan Lawler and her sister Marisa.

 

 

Raynham Students Find True Meaning of Christmas

Earlier this fall Raynham Middle School student Molly Caron read a newspaper article that made a huge impact on her. The story was about five year old girl named Morgan Lawler and her struggle with a rare and often fatal disease called Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva. Simply stated, FOP causes muscles and other connective tissue to turn into bone, eventually causing immobility as FOP bone fuses joints. Molly later discovered that she had something in common with Morgan. They both study at The Burt Wood School of Performing Arts in Middleboro and both love to sing. Click here for more on this article...

 

List of Volunteer and Community Service Credits

• 2010 Sang for the Old Colony YMCA Strong Kids Art Show
• 2010 Sang for and Volunteered at the Old Colony YMCA Strong Kids Breakfast
• 2010 Sang for and Volunteered at the local Special Olympics
• 2010 Sang for and Volunteered at Relay for Life in Bridgewater, Mass.
• 2010 Sang for the Middleboro Youth Baseball Opening Day
• Making Strides Walk For Breast Cancer Fall 2009
• Daffodil Days for the American Cancer Society March 2010
• One Warm Coat Drive 2009
• St. Vincent de Paul Holiday Season Food Drive 2009
• Soliders Angels Drop Site 2009
• Provided music program for Veteran's Day Ceremony Middleboro Mass 2009
• Produced Seeds of Hope Postcards from Heaven benefit November 2009
• Provided music for: Oak Point Veterans Association: Dinner Dance November 2009
• Provided music for: Oak Point Veterans Association Flag Retirement Ceremony November 2009
• Provided music for: Emblem Group (they send Holiday Care packages to the troops) December 2009
• Provided music for: The Oak Point Veteran Association December 2009
• Children of Chernobyl Welcoming Ceremony in Boston, June 23rd, 2009
• EASTER FOOD DRIVE FOR ST. VINCENT de PAUL FOOD PANTRY February-April 2009
• Vietnam Moving Wall 2009 Plymouth, Mass June 2009
• RELAY FOR LIFE June 20th, 2009
• Fall 2008: Lorna Brunelle, Valerie Amaral and Burt Wood student Addison Graham promote participation in the ONE WARM COAT DRIVE. The Burt Wood School staff is collecting coats through November to help Addy's efforts for the event.
• HELPED TO REBUILD LIBRARIES IN NEW ORLEANS with BOOK DRIVE- Winter 2008
• MORGAN LAWLER FUNDRAISER-Organized HAT DAY, donated time and classes for silent auction-Fall of 2008
• Molly Whalen of Middleboro, Massachusetts selling Mardi Gras beads at the Chernobyl Children Project, USA Goodwill Gala-An Evening of Care and Compassion event on Friday, May 9th, 2008.
• JON LINDSKOG GOLF TOURNAMENT-donated classes for silent auction, 2007 to present
• MISS NEW BEDFORD annually donated $250.00 scholarship, 2006-present
• MISS TAUNTON-annual donation of Miss Congeniality Award cash prize, 2007-present
• MIDDLEBORO PLAYGROUND-donated classes for silent auction
• Vietnam Moving Wall Exhibit- June 2008- volunteered to sing National Anthem and to sent students to read names of fallen soldiers
• Chernobyl Children Project 2008- Organized entire gala in Braintree, Massachusetts and hosted HAT DAY
• Aly Levy with Congressman William Delahunt and State Rep Candidate Tom Calter promoting her T.O.Y.S. platform "Together Offering Youth Safety." Please check out a short documentary about the Burtwood School of Performing Arts on Rep. Tom Calter's website. http://www.tcalter.com
• Amy de Silva, 11, was selected to open a recent tribute to Nobel Prize winner Dr. Craig Mello, who came to the presentation of Gov. Deval Patrick in support of stem cell research. To see the video of Amy click here for more...
• Volunteering for State Reps State Rep Tom Calter, Tom O'Brien and Steve Canessa
  Burt Wood staff members, Miss Lorna, Miss Melissa, Miss Erica and Miss Val have all volunteered their time and talent to help State Representative's O'Brien and Canessa by serving on their campaigns and singing for their events.
• National Anthem sung at Historical Middleboro Town Meeting on July 28th known as the "Casino Meeting", National Anthem sung at the renaming/reopening of the former Memorial High/Junior High in Middleboro now named Memorial on August11th.
• Eleven year old Dartmouth resident Amy de Silva performed last week for State Representative Tom Calter (D-12th Plymouth) during an annual fundraiser. Amy, a voice student of the Burt Wood School of Performing Arts in Middleboro, was invited to sing at this event by her voice teacher Lorna Brunelle.
• Each year the Burt Wood teachers volunteer for the Rotary Auction as a guest auctioneers for the live scholarship auction in addition to donating items to the event.

Singing helps keep her strong

MIDDLEBORO — In a small classroom tucked inside the BurtWood School of Performing Arts, Morgan Lawler, 5, and her sister Marisa, 7, belt out Hannah Montana’s “Best of Both Worlds” and songs from “High School Musical.”
With their big smiles and strong voices, it is hard to imagine one of them was actually singing to save her life. Click here for more on this article...

Scholarships: Each year we have a fundraiser to raise money for deserving Burt Wood School students in their senior year of High School preparing for college. Since 1995, we have raised and donated over $14,000.00 to community students in addition to supporting an outside scholarship, THE SEAN Michael EWAS FUND, as Sean was a member of our summer program when he was a young boy. For a list of past recipients click under scholarship on this site.

• Also this past year and currently Burt Wood has donated $250.00 to the Miss New Bedford Pageant in 2006 and $250.00 to the Miss New Bedford Pageant in 2007.
• Each year the Burt Wood School donates time and resources to the Local 691 Scholarship Golf Tournament.
  

The Burt Wood School has provided volunteer National Anthem Singers for:

• countless Middleboro Town Meetings over the past 11 years
• The McDonald's of Middleboro Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
• Cobra's Football Games
• The Middleboro Elks Flag Day Ceremony
• The Middleboro Rotary Meetings
• The 4-H Fair Opening Ceremonies

The Burt Wood Staff National Anthem trio have volunteered to sing the Anthem for:

• Fenway Park , The Red Sox
• Gillette Stadium, The Revolution Soccer Team
• Mohegan Sun, opening for Scott Record
• Massachusetts State House at the request of Tom O'Brien
• The Unity Rally in Middleboro at the Town Hall after 9/11
• Veteran's Day Ceremonies in Middleboro at the Brick Park
• Sam's Club Opening in Plymouth Mass (Miss Lorna, Miss Melissa and Miss Erica
  had $1000 donated in their name to the Dana Farber Children's Creative and Performing Arts Programs in Boston donated by Sam's Club to thank us for singing at the opening.)
• The Brockton Rox
• Shannon O'Brien/Democratic Breakfast in Rockland , Mass
• Middleboro Town Meeting
• State Police Officers Annual Meeting

The Burt Wood School staff and students have volunteered to sing and have provided music (singers) to the following organizations:

• The Middleboro C.O.A., Miss Lorna was the director of a senior citizen choir.
• The Middleboro C.O.A., Miss Lorna was the soloist for their annual Mother's Day concert for years and brought my students to sing for them each year.
• Burt Wood traveling road show choir students provided music at several local nursing homes in Middleboro including Oak Hill, Hannah B. Shaw and the Montgomery Home each year.
• Burt Wood teachers Miss Lorna and Miss Melissa for the Camp Street Ministries Annual Fundraiser in Rhode Island at the Roger's Williams Zoo.
• Burt Wood Staff provided music and sang for State Rep Tom O'Brien's annual fundraiser.
• Burt Wood staff provided singers and music for the town of Middleboro Employees Annual Holiday Party.
• Miss Lorna provided music programs (Holiday songs and games) for Mrs. Turner's class at the Lincoln D. Lynch School, Mrs. Penini's class at the School Street School and Mrs. Silva's class at the Burkland School.
• The Burt Wood School provided music for the 100th Anniversary of the Middleboro Public Library "Centennial Vaudeville Show."
• The Burt Wood staff provided music and sang for Nemasket River Productions annual Mardi gras fundraiser.
• The Burt Wood staff provided music and singers for the Park Department Activities in addition to running a talent show near the playground for students.
• The Burt Wood staff providing music and singing for the Cabot Club of Middleboro.
• The Burt Wood staff providing singers and performers to Edaville Railroad in Carver Mass.
• The Burt Wood staff performed "A Century Of Music" all over the communities in celebration of the Millennium Year.
• The Burt Wood staff providing singers and music to the Assawomsette Family Fun Day in Lakeville Mass.
• The Burt Wood staff providing singers and music to the Soule Homestead Festival in addition to making annual donations of classes and promotional items to their raffle.
• The Burt Wood students and faculty have Christmas Caroled through downtown Middleboro and caroled for local Nursing Homes for years with the students including shows at the Kimwell Rehabilitative Nursing Home in Fall River, The Oak Hill Nursing Home in Middleboro, the Hannah B. Shaw home in Middleboro, The Montgomery Home in Middleboro, and several nursing homes in Rhode Island and Southeastern Mass.
• Donated theatrical costumes, sets and props to the Middleboro High School, The Nichols Middle School, Coyle and Cassidy High School in Taunton, St. Mary's School in Taunton, the Foxboro Theatre Group, Heart To Heart Productions in Taunton, each year we donate classes and gift certificates to the Herring Run Arts Festival and The Soule Homestead Festival in addition to lining up student directors each year.

Presented an Encore Performance of the Musical GODSPELL as a fundraiser for Police Officers Lake and Silva of Middleboro:
It was brought to our attention that police officers Lake and Silva were in desperate need of community support. One officer was wounded on duty and the other officer's wife was terminally ill with cancer. The Burt Wood School presented an encore production of GODSPELL and donated all of the proceeds to the Middleboro Policeman's Union to benefit the families of those officers.

• Sold tickets to and wrote press for Police Officer Raymond Stairs to raise money for his benefit during his battle with cancer.
• Offered a complimentary Creative and Performing Arts five week summer program at the Middleboro Library for two years.
• Set up a face painting booth at the Travis Albert Carnival Fund Raiser in Lakeville Mass.
• Burt Wood Staff Members Judged the State Wide D.E.C.A. Conference at the Sea Crest in Falmouth for several years.
• Burt Wood staff members Judged South Coast Idol for several years at New Bedford High
• Served food on Thanksgiving at the Middleboro C.O.A. to the homeless
• Volunteered with the Boston Conservatory for years helping to cast children in their annual main stage productions, wrote press and attended rehearsals.
• Burt Wood staff and students served as the behind the scenes stage managers for the Scott Record Veterans (Brick) Park Fundraiser at the Nichols Middle School helping Paul Provencher with the program, press, the sound operator, the lighting operators and helping to tie up all loose ends.

September 11th Volunteerism:

• Created a 9/11 Bumper Sticker "These Stripes Stand Tall" with graphic designer Donna Gaudet to raise money for the Fireman of New York.
• Had a car wash at the Rockland Trust Bank in Middleboro to raise money for the Red Cross.
• Recorded and sold "Hear Our Song" a 9/11 CD with the students staff members of the Burt Wood School to raise money for the Todd M. Beamer Foundation set up for the children that lost parents on 9/11.
• Sang at the Middleboro Unity Rally.
• Had the students of the Burt Wood School write letters to the troupes in Afghanistan and Iraq.
• "Operation Shoe Box" had students fill boxes with tolietries, papers, stamps, and other necessities to mail to the troops.

Additional Volunteer Credits:

• Habitat for Humanity: Burt Wood students collected household items in a box in the office to give to the family moving in to a Habitat House in Plymouth Mass. (Miss Lorna's husband painted the Habitat House in Middleboro)
• Flamingo for Breast Cancer: Miss Lorna's mother saw an article about a woman that was selling Pink Flamingos to raise money for breast cancer - so they drove to Waltham to pick up several flocks of birds and sold them at the Burt Wood School . Once they sold out, they returned for more - raising quite a bit for cancer research.
• Volunteered for the Alexander Gamache Memorial Playground by providing music.
• Lent costumes to the Assawomsette Playground Fundraiser in Lakeville.
• Career Day Volunteer Guest Speakers in the Taunton and Norton Public School Systems
• Each summer the Burt Wood School offers a free matinee of our Summer Arts Festival Show to the children of the Middleboro Park Department. The students are invited to the final dress rehearsal at MHS. This enables hundreds of children to experience live theatre without their parents having to buy tickets, which can become pricey if you have a large family or are on a fixed income, to the actual weekend shows.
• Donated "HEAR OUR SONG" 9/11 CDs to Laura Corlin's group the The Star Might Foundation (a group that shares music with children all over the country) located in Strafford , NH 03884
• Volunteer Projects That "Hit Home" with Miss Lorna:
• Miss Lorna Volunteered with her mother at Camp Edwards with the Victims of Hurricane Katrina as part of OPERATION HELPING HAND, through the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office, Miss Lorna worked on base with her mother September and October of 2005.
• Volunteered at Mass Eye and Ear in May of 2006 at the request of surgeon, Dr. Greg Randolph, Miss Lorna was asked to be part of the 20th Anniversary Chernobyl Convocation as a means to raise thyroid cancer awareness. As part of the guest panel, she spoke to doctors and patients about her journey through thyroid cancer. Miss Lorna was also invited to volunteer throughout the year on various thyroid cancer activities
• Children's Chernobyl Project:  Miss Lorna has been raising awareness for this group since the fall of 2004. The documentary "FAITH WORKS" has been passed around along with a New Hampshire Chronicle segment on the Children's Chernobyl Summer Host family program (featuring anchor woman and life long friend Jennifer Vaughn) as a means to getting people more involved with this cause. This past spring, Miss Lorna introduced the C.C.P. summer host family program to friends Rose and John Ewas and shortly after, they hosted two children from Belarus. Since then, she has spoken on behalf of the C.C.P. to members of the Middleboro Cabot Club and Middleboro Rotary. C.C.P. President Patty Doyle will be speaking at the Burt Wood School on Thursday, Jan 25th at 7pm.  Anyone that is interested in opening their homes for the summer adoption program is encouraged to attend. Please help spread the word about this incredible program and help place the children of Chernobyl in America for a month long stay of free medical care and USA love! For more information about the C.C.P. contact:
  Patricia A. Doyle, President
  Chernobyl Children Project USA, Inc.
  75 McNeil Way, Suite 305
  Dedham, MA 02026
  Tel: 781-251-0137
  Fax: 781-251-9175
  Cell: 617-827-7918
  www.ccpusa.org
• 2007 Fundraiser for the CCP hosted by Burt Wood:
  -Dive in Movie, April 18th
  -Story Hour, May 6th
  -Talent Show, May 17
  -Texas Holdem' Tournament, May 26
  -Hat Day, May 30th
  -An Evening With Comedian Maureen Hancock, June 7th.

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