Making wishes come true

& lt;a href=mailto:jgoodwin@vindy.com & gt;By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR & lt;/a & gt;.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Cadillac Drive, like many streets, is lined with trees sporadically placed along curbs and in yards, but one of the trees here likely will help add extra holiday cheer to some young people.
It is from the branches of a pine standing alone in the triangle that divides north and south Cadillac Drive that Boardman Center Middle School pupil Alec Neapolitan, 11, has hung the Christmas wishes of some area special-needs pupils.
Alec collected a wish list from pupils at Potential Development School in Youngstown to hang on the tree. Pupils at the school have autism -- a disorder that affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills.
The tree, donated by Pioneer Tree Farm in Poland, stands in the intersection visible from all directions, decorated with silver, red and green tinsel. A paper smiling Santa face is attached with clothespins to several of the small branches. Written inside of the beard of each Santa is the name, age, gender and wish of one pupil.
Potential Development services 39 area pupils. A tag for each pupil has been placed on the tree. The wishes range from simple action figures to computer games.
School project
Alec is familiar with Potential Development and some of the school's activities because his father, Bob Neapolitan, is a photographer who has taken pictures of pupils at the school in the past. Alec decided to do the wish tree as one of his required school projects after he learned a tradition at Potential Development had come to an end.
"There use to be a group that would do the presents and stuff, but the group broke up and the Santa moved to Florida, so we decided to take it up," he said.
Alec said the families of many of the pupils have added medical expenses and could often use additional help during the holiday season. He is hoping members of the community take the ornaments and buy the listed gifts for each child.
Bob Neapolitan said it is hard to gauge the success of the tree so far, but phone calls have been coming in and tags keep vanishing from the tree. Monetary donations have also been sent to the family and will be used to buy gifts for any pupil with a tag still on the tree after Dec. 15.
Appreciating the efforts
Paul Garchar, executive director of Potential Development, said the pupils are not yet aware of the undertaking, but teachers and parents appreciate Alec's efforts. He said teachers at the school contacted parents of the pupils to devise a list of potential gifts for each one.
"We serve a high number of lower-income children from the inner city," he said. "Based on that fact, any additional support the community can lend is appreciated and will make Christmas a little brighter for these kids."
All gifts should be dropped off at the Neapolitan residence at 124 S. Cadillac Drive by Dec. 15. Santa will deliver the gifts to Potential Development on Dec. 18.
& lt;a href=mailto:jgoodwin@vindy.com & gt;jgoodwin@vindy.com & lt;/a & gt;