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By Maggie Vande Vrede
On the eve of Authorfest, when it was announced that schools would be closed the next day, the Winchester Foundation for Educational Excellence’s Board and the Winchester community jumped into action to save the event.
Authorfest had been set for Oct. 10, when 20 authors were scheduled to visit all of Winchester’s public elementary schools, McCall Middle School and Winchester High School during the school day. The day was to be followed by a meet-and-greet with the authors at Town Hall.
On Oct. 9, volunteers worked late into the night and early the next morning to secure new venues, set up equipment, gather snacks for presenters, and handle countless other details after the public schools were shut down due to a chemical spill at the high school.
Instead of being held in the schools as planned, Authorfest unfolded across the Winchester community — at Town Hall, the Winchester Public Library, and Book Ends. Nothing went as originally planned, yet the day turned out to be extraordinary.
Parents experienced the magic of Authorfest alongside their children, and students were able to attend more than one presentation. The meet-and-greet stretched into the afternoon as Winchester showed up in full force to meet authors, share stories, and celebrate a shared love of books.
Despite some changed circumstances, writers and illustrators at Authorfest still held their listeners with rapt attention during festivities on Oct. 10. COURTESY PHOTOS/WINCHESTER FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE
Authorfest is a WFEE grant, funded by donations from the Winchester community.
For more information about WFEE, visit www.wfee.org.
Maggie Vande Vrede is the executive director of the Winchester Foundational for Educational Excellence.
