Skip to content
  1. Home
  2. Local News

Operation Garland: art students wreath-out to local seniors for Christmas

Student-made wreaths were delivered to residents of a local retirement home and to the hospice
CollingwoodToday Staff

Art students at Collingwood Collegiate Institute (CCI) put their lessons to use this season by making holiday wreaths for the residents of Pine Villa Retirement Home and for Hospice Georigan Triangle. 

Called Operation Garland, the effort included William Vancise's Grade 9 art class supported by Sarah Leggat, an educational assistant at CCI. 

Vancise said the class of students are "community heroes" with an "ever-strengthening understanding of the importance of giving." 

The wreaths were given to Pine Villa to be displayed on the resident's doors and sent to adorn the window of Hospice Georgian Triangle's new location downtown. 

"The individual need to express oneself, to be heard and to show we care has added purpose," said Vancise in an email to CollingwoodToday. "The opportunity to pay it forward in an expression of kindness is innate in the minds of our students and staff."

Extra precautions were taken before the wreaths were delivered in order to prevent potential contamination by the coronavirus. The wreaths were bagged and quarantined for 72 hours and kept outdoors for an additional 24 hours.