by Ana Nuncio, Manager of Settlement Partnerships
What’s pink and red, and shimmers all over? A Caribbean swan, of course!
For Salem Education Day on Saturday, May 9th, Gables staff members gathered with other community organizations in Salem’s Old Town Hall to promote the love of reading and books among Salem‘s families.
Armed with a gorgeous origami swan created by Salem High student Frederick Fernández Cabrera, Gables staff members brought to life some stories from the book Caribbean Tales. The book was created last summer through a Gables partnership with students from the On Point program offered by Plummer Home, as well as with college-age students majoring in graphics and marketing at Endicott College, under the direction of Professor Kathleen McLaughlin.
Early on a Saturday morning, families found time to bring their children to browse through many books and hear some stories, but a favorite tale was about a red swan who led a swarm of fireflies to a new land. The fireflies, known as nimitas in the Dominican Republic, are the main characters in a featured story called “The Great Flight of the Nimitas.” To escape a terrible hurricane, they follow the swan and make their way to America, eventually lighting up the whole eastern coast of the United States.