On Monday February 22nd the Williston community will come to celebrate Founders Day. This special day has previously been called Diversity Day, the Diversity Symposium and Diversity Conference. However, as part of celebrating 175 years of Williston, it will be celebrated as Founders Day this year.

Mrs. Cheney, the 175th coordinator, shares, “This year, Williston is celebrating its 175th birthday so we took advantage of the 175th anniversary of the founding of the school to create Founders Day. Founders Day will immerse our entire community in assemblies, workshops, special meals, celebrations and guided reflections.”

Although the day has a new name, “Many of the components of the day will remain the same as in years past,” confirmed Mrs. Cheney.

The day will start with an all school assembly in the chapel and then everyone will break up into smaller groups for morning workshops. The day relies heavily on student involvement. Student input and participation is vital to the success of the workshops and the day in general.

The community will be broken into two sections for a celebratory birthday lunch then spend the afternoon in additional workshops. At the end of the day everyone will come together for a closing assembly and Williston themed birthday celebration in the chapel.

“The day will be full of surprises and promises to be festive, fun and reflective,” says Mrs. Cheney.

When asked what Williston can look forward to on this day Mrs. Cheney said, “The Williston community can look forward to a thoughtful and inspiring morning assembly with Chris Waddell. Mr. Waddell is an American Paralympic sit-skier and wheelchair track athlete.”

She adds, “He was a promising able-bodied skier while attending Middlebury College in Vermont, before a skiing accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. Mr. Waddell’s speech will set the stage for thoughtful discussions during the morning sessions, before we break for a birthday lunch in the dining commons.”

In addition, while the day is going on members of the Advancement staff will be hard at work on the Founders Day Challenge. The goal is to inspire 175 alumni, parents, and friends to come together that day in support of the community and in celebration of the school’s 175th birthday by making a gift to the Williston Northampton Fund or the Parents Fund. If the challenge is successful, an anonymous donor will give $25,000 to Williston Northampton.

Many people have been asking the question of whether or not it will be called Founders Day in years to come however Mrs. Cheney said that this has not been decided yet.

One thing for sure is that the Williston community will come together on February 22nd to have a fantastic, fun-filled day.