A big “thank you” to everyone who made last week’s Say Hi to Your Neighbors Week in Waltham a reality.
We kicked off the week on Monday morning, bright and early on a chilly morning (thankfully not quite as cold as last year!) handing out coffee and saying hi to commuters at two train stations in town. At a City Council meeting that evening, Councilors Diane LeBlanc and Robert Logan sponsored a resolution to officially declare Say Hi Week 2015 and the vote passed unanimously!
On Tuesday, we gathered with old and new friends (along with an impressive number of REACH staffers…) at In A Pickle restaurant, and everyone sitting at our “community table” received 50% off of their bill. Later that evening, we put some faces to the usernames and handles we know so well at Meet the Social Media night at Shoppers Café.
On Wednesday, after stopping by to say hi to the weekly Rotary meeting, we hung out with seniors at the Stanley Senior Center for an exciting round of Bingo! That same afternoon, some of our peer leaders from Waltham High School hung out at the corner of Crescent and Moody streets to hold signs and wave hi to passing cars.
By Thursday we were tired but still going strong! We had lunch with folks at Marist Hill, followed by an Afternoon Spring Tea at the Grove Street Housing Complex. Meanwhile the peer leaders, not to be outdone, were handing out lollipops at school to raise awareness of Say Hi Week and of teen dating violence prevention. Later that afternoon, we gathered with some of our elected officials for a cup of coffee at Dunkin Donuts. Folks at More Than Words and the Waltham Family School also got in on the Say Hi Week fun.
On Friday there was a Community Peace Vigil at Brandeis University where Say Hi Week was recognized, and our friends at WCAC took up the Say Hi signs and waved to the passing cars. Friday was also a hard day as we had to make the tough decision to postpone the Scavenger Hunt that had been scheduled for Saturday. With a forecast of cold rain/snow, we opted to hold this fun outdoor event when the weather gets a little warmer. We so appreciate all of the businesses and community members that were willing to pitch in and make this event happen, and we promise to update everyone as soon as we pick a new date!