by Elizabeth Connolly
Hometown Weekly Reporter
In true Walpole spirit, a number of town groups and committees recently joined together to host a great event for an even greater good. Walpole’s Department of Public Works (DPW), together with the Recreation Department, the Walpole Town Forest Committee, the Walpole Trails Committee, and the Walpole Fire Department (WFD) put together quite an entertaining afternoon on Saturday, June 15th. DPW Family Day, which took place at the Lorusso Athletic Complex in South Walpole, offered an array of activities, as well as many delicious food and beverage options.
The event took place between 12 and 5 p.m. and featured a DJ, music, games, a playground, and a cornhole fundraiser. All of the proceeds from the fundraiser went to Light Up Walpole, a volunteer-led organization committed to maintaining and expanding the annual holiday lights display on the town common. At 1:00, WFD showed up with their contribution to the festivities: foam! Jubilant children, many clad in swimwear and goggles, charged towards the soapy suds, eager to get as covered in it as possible. “This is the best day of my life!” shouted one ecstatic youngster, diving into the foam. After some time, several enthusiastic adults joined in the fun. It was quite a sight to behold, as a small, bubbly, white pond began to form in the middle of the field.
“We worked with the parks department to make sure that the excess of soap wouldn’t cause damage to the field,” Assistant Recreation Director Lauren Antonetti shared. “Once we were given the green light to move forward, we purchased the soap while WFD secured borrowing the equipment needed from Westwood Fire.”
The beautiful, sunny day was the perfect backdrop Family Day, and many chose to watch the events unfold from towels dotted the grassy areas. After a little over an hour, the foam party ended and the foam seemed to magically disappear from the field, leaving many children - including this reporter’s - wondering if they will ever get the opportunity again.
“We plan to make it a yearly tradition, whether it be part of a larger event or offered on its own. We were thrilled to see so many families join us for the day,” Antonetti said.
