On Tuesday, December 10th, the Form V Senate organized a Christmas-themed dress-down day to support the DOVE – Domestic and Other Violence Emergencies – children’s toy drive, raising $2,000 as a result of a successful dress-down donation push in which nearly 400 students and faculty participated. The following day, student leaders used the funds to purchase various toys for children in need.
DOVE, a Massachusetts-based organization, provides shelter and support to victims of domestic violence, including children. In the past, Belmont Hill hosted DOVE toy drives every winter, but the tradition was put on pause in recent years. This year, the Form V Senate revived it, donating all the toys to one of DOVE’s pop-up holiday shops. These shops offer a chance for families affected by domestic violence to select donated toys, ensuring a brighter Christmas for their children.
Form V and VI Senate members headed to Target in Watertown the day after the dress-down. Splitting into three groups, they filled four shopping carts with toys. Senate members subsequently delivered the gifts to the DOVE store in Quincy. Reflecting on the experience, Form V President Grant Hanser ’26 said, “It was super meaningful to bring the school together to support a community less fortunate during the holiday season. The school did a great job in helping raise money, making for a successful and really fun event.”
The school senate hopes that the DOVE drive will return permanently after its short hiatus, uniting the school and benefitting victims of domestic violence. To learn more or donate to DOVE, readers can visit their website at https://www.dovema.org/donate.