Thursday, October 1, 2026
Mayor Robert Kennedy recognized the contributions of students from Woodward Children’s Center at a ceremony on Dec. 17, honoring them with citations for helping bring holiday cheer to Freeport by repairing and setting up Christmas lights throughout the village.
As part of Woodward’s vocational program, students Robert Albano, Orlando Brown and James Eick spent several weeks last fall restoring the iconic decorations that illuminated Main Street and surrounding areas during the holiday season. The effort ensured that the village’s festive displays were ready in time for residents and visitors to enjoy.
The Woodward Center, founded 65 years ago, serves students from kindergarten through age 21 with special needs, including children with emotional challenges and those on the autism spectrum. The center emphasizes hands-on learning experiences designed to prepare them for life beyond the classroom.
According to Ken Dookram, president of the Chamber of Commerce, the students worked alongside their advisers and chamber members.
“Some of the kids at the school and some of their advisers, with some members of the Chamber of Commerce, we maintain the light fixtures,” Dookram said. “If you drive around town, if you see the lights, the snowflakes and the Christmas wreaths that are up on light poles, that’s what they are.”
He added, “The children from Woodward did a great job helping us maintain those fixtures.”
The partnership, Dookram said, benefits both the community and the students.
“It’s a win-win, where the chamber and the kids at that school, we work together in collaboration to beautify the village in preparation for the holidays,” he said. “And also for the kids, they get a great experience. We go to the mayor’s office and he thanks them personally as well.”
The collaboration began when the chamber faced challenges in continuing the longstanding tradition of maintaining the holiday decorations.
“The chamber has always done it, and the electrician who did it passed away,” Dookram explained. “We’ve had some other electricians who were members of the chamber do it, and unfortunately they passed away also. So it came to, how are we going to try to get it done?”
The solution, he said, emerged through a connection with Woodward’s executive director, Greg Ingino.
“Greg Ingino, from the Woodward school, said they do have kids that do that type of stuff, and they’d be happy to help us out,” Dookram said. “It’s been a great partnership ever since.”
Ingino spoke to the Herald about the Woodward students’ response to having been honored.
“They were very excited about getting to come meet the mayor again and get an award from him,” Ingino said. “There was camaraderie.
“It was a great feeling of them seeing the completion of their work,” he added. “Fixing and installing the bulbs, and then [seeing] the lights in the village — the pride of doing that.”
“They were very dedicated,” Ingino said. “You know, it was cold some of those days we were out there, and they changed about 2,000 bulbs and they learned how to do wiring, and how to test for the wires and the sockets. So it was a great learning experience.”
