SoCCA’s Dragonfly Fundraiser Brings a Surprise to the Green
- Philip Thibodeau
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Anyone driving by the Southington green Wednesday morning might have noticed something new on its lawn – a swarm of large white dragonflies.
This was not just a merry prank, although the timing with April Fools Day was no accident. Instead, it marks the beginning of a fundraising effort by the Southington Community Cultural Arts (SoCCA), which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.
It was SoCCA director Diann Thomson’s idea to call the effort The Dragonfly Project and to have it revolve around the charismatic winged insect. According to Thomson, SoCCA’s first director, Mary DeCroce, loved dragonflies, both for their fragile beauty and what they symbolize.
“Our founder courageously battled cancer for 27 years,” the Project description says, “meeting each challenge with strength, grace, and unwavering determination. She connected deeply to the dragonfly, whose life cycle is one of struggle and transformation before emerging as the beautiful creature it was meant to be. For Mary, the dragonfly symbolized perseverance, courage, and hope—qualities that continue to inspire SoCCA and the many individuals we serve every day.”
To create the dragonfly forms, Thomson enlisted the services of Todd Mongillo, the owner of Mongillo Carpentry. The first set of 20 dragonflies were made from plywood. However, when concerns arose that they might warp when exposed to the elements, Mongillo crafted new ones from waterproof PVC.
The way the fundraiser works is this: a business or organization receives a 42 x37 inch firefly in return for a $1,000 donation. SoCCA then pairs that business or group with a local artist who will set about decorating them in order to create a unique work of art. The hope is that businesses will put the decorated dragonflies on display so that people will see them all over town. SoCCA will also promote the dragonfly sponsors in their marketing.
The donated funds will support SoCCA’s mission of making the arts accessible to people in the community. A single $1,000 donation is enough to send a child to SoCCA’s Summer Arts Adventures program, for example.
For more details, see SoCCA’s page for The Dragonfly Project.
The Dragon-Fly (1833)
by Alfred Lord Tennyson
Today I saw the dragon-fly
Come from the wells where he did lie.
An inner impulse rent the veil
Of his old husk: from head to tail
Came out clear plates of sapphire mail.
He dried his wings: like gauze they grew;
Thro’ crofts and pastures wet with dew
A living flash of light he flew.
