Bradford's St. Angela Merici Catholic School Grade 8 graduates are the winners of a local photobooth contest, put on by two local businesses.
Last week, businesswomen Jennifer Feeney, of Jen Feeney Events, and Gabriela Aroca of Instaselfie Booth announced a 'Contactless 2020 Graduation PhotoBooth Giveaway', a contest for 2020 graduates to have their milestone recognized and captured with a memorable photo experience.
The contest took place through Instagram, with dozens of entries received from all over the GTA.
It was Bradford mom Maria Patricelli who submitted the winning entry. Her children attend St. Angela Merici Catholic School in Bradford, and although none of them are graduating this year, she decided to submit a ballot on behalf of the school's Grade 8 students.
"I entered so that the graduating class had something to look forward to and to help small local businesses during these unprecedented times," she said. "We are all in this together and I hope putting a smile on someone’s face can make a small difference in their lives."
Thanks to Patricelli, the entire Grade 8 class has won the grand prize of a free contactless mirror booth session with Instaselfie Booth, including a luxury organic balloon backdrop from Jen Feeney Events.
The session is to be held this upcoming Saturday, May 16, with members of the graduating class welcome to dress up in their graduation attire and have their photos taken in front of the balloon backdrop in the photo booth. So far, 17 classmates are registered for their free photo session.
The booth will be a contactless experience, controlled remotely by a booth assistant. Only one person will be allowed in the booth at any given time, and the space will be wiped down and cleaned before a new person enters.
Graduating students from St. Angela Merici looking to book a slot for Saturday can contact Feeney directly at [email protected]. Any other graduates in the community wanting to have their photos taken are welcome to book a time slot for $20 on Sunday, May 17 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Grads can click here to book a time slot.
Feeney and Aroca decided to run the contest after brainstorming ideas to help grads celebrate their year during COVID-19.
"I hope that what Jen from Jen Feeney Events and I have put together for the graduates, will at least make them feel somewhat the magic of graduation celebrations, by taking a precious memory with them that will remind them, that despite all odds, at a time when most students had no memories about their graduation in the middle of such an uncertain 2020, they did," said Aroca.
"I'm very proud to be able to offer this to the kids in our town who will miss out on their graduation. As a balloon artist, it's my business to make people feel special through balloon displays. I hope this opportunity will bring a little sparkle and a few smiles to a time what has otherwise been dark and difficult," said Feeney.
The photo session is not a school or school board sanctioned event. As Principal Joe Almeida noted, "The safety of our students and staff must be our top priority. At this time, we are mandated by a Ministerial order in terms of how our schools and properties are permitted to be used and how our students/staff can interact, i.e. strict physical distancing and health and safety protocols are in place."
In a letter to parents, he went on to recognize that graduation is "an important milestone, and our students have already missed out on so much," but pointed out that the contest does not meet the health and safety guidelines that have been set.
"Our school board and school are working together on a graduation plan for our students, and this will be communicated to families in the near future. We want to recognize the tremendous accomplishments of our students, but we must do so in a co-ordinated, planned and most importantly, a safe way that follows Health Unit protocols."
While the school doesn't sanction the event, Almeida recognized that families are free to make their own choices and decisions. "We greatly appreciate your understanding and patience during this incredibly difficult time - we know everyone is just trying to do the very best they can in a challenging situation."
