WEST SPRINGFIELD – The Holiday Tour of Homes, an annual West Springfield Boys & Girls Club event that raises critical funds to help local youth programs, will have a different format for 2020 thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.

In the past, tour-goers “would travel far and wide to tour the interior of beautifully decorated homes that are showcased in Christmas and festive décor,” according to the 2020 pamphlet.

With quarantine and social distancing measures set in place, that type of in-person tour won’t be possible this year. Instead, the Boys & Girls Club are presenting two different ways for residents to participate in this year’s fundraising event on Dec. 5.

The first, according to the event’s brochure, is a Private Screening Event & Lunch at Storrowton Carriage House on 1305 Memorial Ave. Residents are asked to call the Club directly to reserve a time slot for their viewing party. Tickets are $35 per person, and the number to call is 736-1831.

Sarah Calabrese, resource development director at the Boys & Girls Club, told Reminder Publishing that they hired a production company (Rockstar Cinema) to record the homes of this year’s hosts who were willing to show off their Christmas décor. Everything will be edited into one big production for those who are attending the virtual tour and lunch.  

“We have a Holiday Tour of Homes committee, so the committee members will reach out to their friends and family, anyone who will go all out for Christmas,” said Calabrese with regard to how they determine who’s home gets viewed by the public. “So it’s homes of all shapes and all sizes, and this year, it doesn’t have to be in West Springfield.”

The second way people can participate in this year’s fundraising is by registering their viewing party to receive an online copy of the virtual tour. The brochure states that “for every $20 donation, your viewing party gets entered into a raffle to win a goodie basket to be enjoyed during the virtual tour.”

The virtual viewing event and accompanying lunch will be provided throughout the day on Dec. 5, however Calabrese wants to emphasize that, due to COVID-19 restrictions, there will only be 25 people per room at a specific time slot, and you w­ill be separated by table. There are multiple time slots throughout the day though, so Calabrese encourages people to call and see what times are available.

Despite the restrictions, Calabrese still has high hopes for this year’s format, and wants to highlight the major impact something like this will have on the organization.

“At the Boys & Girls Club, we offer a variety of programs and services,” she said. “So the proceeds (from this event) help us to really keep our doors open, so we can continue to offer after school programs.”

Events such as these will particularly support the social, emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing of kids between 2.9 and 18 years of age.

Due to the pandemic, the Boys & Girls Club was forced to stay closed for a period of time earlier this year. Calabrese said that they were finally able to reopen safely so kids could have the opportunity to “unleash any concerns or pent up energy, or problems that they may have had while they were out of the club.”

Calabrese thinks that it is important for the children to be engaged and learning, even if it involves added safety measures.

“Right now is a scary time,” said Calabrese. “There’s no ending to this pandemic. But the best thing we can do right now is keep our doors open, keep them (the kids) learning, keep them engaged, and their not isolated from their friends.”