Community, COVID-19 James Bairaktaris Community, COVID-19 James Bairaktaris

County, Red & White Charity Balls Cancelled for High Schoolers

According to the Board of Directors for the County Assemblies, Inc.: the Red & White Charity Ball for high school seniors, and the County Assembly Charity Ball for high school juniors, are both cancelled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The charity ball tradition began in 1938 with a Christmas dance at the Red Barn for Westport teens. Since then, the non-profit organization welcomes high school juniors and seniors from Easton, Fairfield, Redding, Weston, Westport and Wilton to register for their grade’s dance at the Stamford Marriott - formerly held at The Inn at Longshore. The Junior and Senior dances are split into tri-town areas: Westport, Weston, Wilton as one group, and Easton, Redding, and Fairfield as the other group.

Tradition made it mandatory that the girls-asked-boys to the dances, and paid the $150 per-couple registration fee for the black tie event. It was not until 2018 that the Board of Directors announced that they would welcome ”…as an exception for the LGBTQ community, boys bringing a male escort” to the typically female-only registration system.

All money collected goes towards area charities benefiting children and teens. This year they were able to donate more than $60,000 to area food pantries throughout the region.

From the County Assemblies Board of Directors:

“The County Assemblies is taking a break for our 2021 events and we look forward to resuming our Charity Balls in 2022.

As a result of your generous support of our 2020 events, we awarded grants in excess of $60,000 to non-profit organizations that help children and teens in Fairfield County. Due to the additional needs of families during the pandemic, we supported food pantries in Easton, Redding, Fairfield, Norwalk, Weston, Westport and Wilton.”

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Community, COVID-19 James Bairaktaris Community, COVID-19 James Bairaktaris

The Birth of a Hopeful Future at Stamford Hospital

a Note From the Editor

Last week, the Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS) sent me an email that said it was my turn to get the COVID-19 vaccine as an EMT. As easy as ordering take-out, I had an appointment for December 29th at Stamford Hospital. Many asked what my experience was.

…

I didn’t feel the shot, I truthfully didn’t even know it was administered until the bandaid was pulling at my skin. It was unceremonious, quick. I walked out of the small makeshift room into the observation area where a scene of the pandemic crisis was burned into my mind.

Doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff sat in small chairs in this hallway with “I Got My COVID-19 Vaccine” stickers on their lapels and tears slowly absorbing into the edges of their masks. I sat at the end of the hallway with them as they cried, called their children, Facetimed their spouses, hugged and clapped as one-after-another received the new Pfizer vaccine. This was the beginning to their victory in surviving the pandemic as a frontline worker. They made it out alive. They survived.

So there we all sat. The newly vaccinated hospital staff resembled a family celebrating the birth of a child - everyone filled with joy and hope - everyone celebrating the birth of a hopeful future - sitting on those chairs in the middle of the hallway - taking selfies, crying, hugging, laughing, celebrating the hope that they felt under the bandaid on their arms.

And there I was, feeling so small, and so grateful, sitting there on my chair at the end of the hallway.

This is their light at the end of the tunnel. This is their hope. This was my experience.

Jaime Bairaktaris

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COVID-19 James Bairaktaris COVID-19 James Bairaktaris

No New COVID-19 Cases, Deaths Reported Today

The Westport-Weston Health District reports that Westport has added 0 positive or probable COVID-19 cases, and has added 0 new death.

Westport total positive or probable cases: 906 cases. Westport total COVID-19 Deaths: 25 deaths.

NOTE: “Due to technical issues, today’s report reflects only partial recent data, therefore the number of cases and tests are lower than anticipated. We expect that the missing data will be accounted for in tomorrow's report.” (CT Data)

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