By Nance Ebert, Contributing Writer
Northborough – Tyler Beauchesne, Bharathan Sundar and Curran Moholkar, three juniors from the Algonquin Regional High School varsity tennis team decided to embark on a community-wide project to deliver treat bags to senior citizens and healthcare workers during the pandemic. “Bharathan has a friend on the Brookline tennis team and they were doing a community service project where they were distributing treat bags to neighbors. We then decided to bring it to a bigger scale and drop these assembled bags to those more directly affected by the crisis,” said Beauchesne.
They are distributing the treat bags filled with snacks and activities to local retirement homes and hospitals. They recently distributed 36 bags to the Beaumont Nursing Home in Northborough and plan to donate another 100 to UMass Hospital in Worcester.
“I can say on behalf of all of us that this little opportunity to be proactive has really been making me happy during this crisis,” Moholkar noted. “It has given me a reason to leave the house and I do feel a sense of pride by giving back and helping others while doing something purposeful during this pandemic.”
The boys used social media and contacted friends and family to raise funds, which they used to purchase the gift bags and items. Members of the tennis team, friends and family have been adding their special touch with handwritten notes tucked inside each bag.
Patricia Riley, teacher and advisor at Algonquin, donated a lot of items that were in the school store. This contribution has helped to stretch the boys’ budget tremendously.
“Our goal is to donate 1,000 bags by the end of June. I am very confident that we will meet and perhaps even exceed that goal,” said Sundar.
Although the boys could not have their scheduled tennis season, the project has been a way for the tennis team members to come together, given them a sense of community and purpose.
“Rather than sulk and feel sorry for themselves as a result of losing their spring tennis season, these three creative and talented juniors challenged the entire Algonquin boys’ tennis team to find a way to organize, contribute to their community and make a statement that there are people out there who care about others,” said their coach Gerald Cushing. “I am so proud of all those players who took the time and made a contribution to a very worthwhile effort. It’s one of many different ways that students at ARHS are making a difference.”
“I think there is a lot to be said about giving back during these times. We, as a team, often want to do good and come together. This is a very tangible way and an opportunity for us to show how much we care for the people who are going through difficult times.” said Sundar.
For more information visit https://arhstreatbags.org. Anyone wishing to donate can go to the Instagram page @gonk_boys_tennis or donate via Venmo at www.venmo.com/ARHS-TennisTreatBag.
Photos/submitted
