Norwich Puzzle pieces are colorful, and when people work together, the pieces can be interlocked to form a beautiful picture.
Those were the images and themes Norwich Free Academy students wanted to convey with their Project Outreach program, “We’re All a Piece of Norwich,” a community art project with students and staff in 11 schools and members of more than 30 community organizations participating. People from age 4 to 80 created colorful puzzle pieces cut out from sheets of paper.
In total, 687 participants submitted completed puzzle pieces to NFA Project Outreach student coordinators Ella Bean, a 10th grader from Preston, and Annika Savage, a senior from Voluntown.
“COVID kind of took us for a whirl,” Dionne said.
On Wednesday, the yearly toy charity kicked off its distribution in Killingly, Norwich and New London, to ensure children in need have a happy holiday. As people couldn’t wait inside the distribution venues due to COVID-19 precautions, people lined up outside the venues to get toys for their children this holiday season.
In Norwich, Dionne was the first person lined up at 5:50 a.m., and there were about 80 people wrapped around the building waiting to get in when the doors opened at about 9 a.m.
“We’ll get warm when we’re done,” Dionne said.