WESTFORD — Dozens of decorated cars, local organizations and members of the community filled the Nashoba Valley Ski Area parking lot on Sept. 25, as the town came together for a send-off celebration for 6-year-old leukemia survivor Olivia Ennis.
The Westford Police Department partnered with Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island to host a trunk-or-treat celebration for Ennis, who recently completed treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Her wish — to attend Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World Resort — was granted this month.
More than 45 vehicles, each decked out in Halloween decor, lined up for the event. Officers, families, and local volunteers handed out candy and small gifts as Ennis and her friends made their way from trunk to trunk in costume.
“The support for Olivia, it makes me really emotional,” Olivia’s mother Rebecca Ennis said, “It’s so special to see everybody in our community and Make-A-Wish come together and put on something so special for her just knowing what she’s been through and we’ve been through as a family.”
Representatives from Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island, including CEO Sean Holleran and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Kara Walker, joined the festivities to celebrate Ennis’s upcoming trip, as well.
“It was just an incredible day, there had to be 150 plus people there, and the weather was not super cooperative it was pouring rain on most people’s drives over but that didn’t stop anyone from showing up for Olivia,” Walker said.
Lt. Brian Gendron and Sgt. Greg Marchand of the Westford Police Department organized the celebration, with help from dozens of local businesses and organizations. Contributors included Stir Martini Bar, Market Basket, Nashoba Valley Ski Area, Frontline Promotions, Whole Foods, Evviva Trattoria, Muffins on Main, and Elevate Entertainment 617, which provided food, decorations, and entertainment for the event.
“Every person that I reached out to was an immediate ‘yes’ before I could even finish explaining the event,” Gendron said, “Partnerships between the town and the community and the departments were overwhelming.”
Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island has granted more than 10,000 wishes to children with critical illnesses over the past 40 years. The organization works with families, volunteers and donors to create experiences that provide joy, strength, resiliency and hope.
“I would say if you can experience an event like we had for Liv last week and be there to hear from a wish family about what it means to them, I wish I could bottle that feeling,” Walker said, “Just spreading the word and telling stories like Liv’s and how much it has meant to her and her family is what makes people feel more connected.”
