Community Corner

Applefest Marshal Has Grand Time

Pat Cluff calls the honor "fun."

Pat Cluff has played board games with Proctor Elementary School fifth-graders for many years.

Friday, fifth-grade classes sung to her, and made presentations about her, during a special assembly.

Pat Cluff Day at Proctor honored this year's Applefest grand marshal, who says she has volunteered in the school's fifth-grade classes for 15 to 20 years.

Cluff also served as a judge during Friday's Applefest Dessert Bake-Off at the Northborough Senior Center. And she rode in an antique fire engine during Saturday's Applefest Parade.

That the Rotary Club of Northborough has announced that Cluff is the grand marshal is an honor she is enjoying.

"This is how fun it is," Cluff said Friday at the senior center.

"I walked into the Stop & Shop, and a woman walked in, and she put her hand out and said, 'I don't know you, but I want to congratulate you.' And I said, 'Why, thank you.'"

The woman had seen a newspaper article about Cluff being chosen marshal.

"It's just amazing. People are wonderful."

Friday's festivities at Proctor were "really kind of fun," Cluff said.

"A number of the teachers that I work with did little skits and songs about me, and kids made presentations," she said.

Cluff volunteers to help the fifth-grade teachers.One program there started with a suggestion she made about 15 years ago.

Back then, a fifth-grade teacher told her that  the teachers needed a way "to connect with senior citizens," Cluff said.

Cluff suggested grandparents play board games with the students.

"So, we tried it in her classroom, once a month, 45 minutes, sent a notice home to grandparents to come, and they did. And they loved it. And the kids loved it," said Cluff, who has lived in Northborough with her husband Bill for 50 years.

"What happened was, there were three fifth-grade classes, and the kids in the other fifth-grade classes complained because they didn't get to play. So, one month I went here. The next month, I went there. The next month, I went there.

"It was great, because obviously it was a success for both groups of people."

Now, when "the kids go on to fifth grade, many of their grandparents are still coming to the program because they enjoy it so much," Cluff said.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Northborough