On Monday, October 20, Eastern States Exposition (ESE) and the Town of West Springfield visited the West Springfield Boys & Girls Club to present a check for $6,000 that afforded the club an all-new technology lab for the students it serves. This funding comes from the collaborative ESE-West Springfield Trust.
The trust began in 1994, which was the year The Big E grew from five days to 17 days in length. Annually, ESE donates one percent of its gross operations to the town to support and maintain the ESE-West Springfield Trust. The donation divided into grants awarded to various community organizations selected by a committee comprised of ESE President and CEO Gene Cassidy, attorney Mary Powers and Mayor Will Reichelt of West Springfield.
This year, ESE’s donation to the ESE-West Springfield Trust totaled $370,970. This proved the not-for-profit organization’s largest donation to date. Since the trust’s inception, ESE has contributed more than five million dollars. In 2025, 34 local organizations benefited from the trust, including sports teams, food rescues, places of worship, veterans’ outreach services and more.
The Boys & Girls Club of West Springfield was among these recipients, which is why Cassidy and Reichelt recently visited for a check presentation. Attendees included the club’s Trustee Jim Sherbo, Board Chair Mike Oleksak, Executive Director Dan D’Angelo, Trustee Joe Kelley, Development Director Sarah Calabrese-Dunphy and Assistant Development Coordinator Victoria Larriva. visited the facility to deliver a check to Dan D’Angelo, executive director of the club, and other members of his staff.
The grant funded the club’s newest initiative: the “Plugged In” program and technology lab. This state-of-the-art lab is equipped with Computer-Aided Design (CAD) tools, 3D printers, advanced software, comfortable gaming chairs and more. The goal of the program is to allow children to explore technological skills and prepare for the work force.
“On behalf of the West Springfield Boys & Girls Club and our club kids,” said D’Angelo, “we are incredibly grateful to Eastern States Exposition and the town’s collaborative trust. The new technology lab—along with the program opportunities in coding, robotics, aviation, content creation, drone navigation and more—gives our members the chance to explore, create and learn with the latest technology.
“These are the skills that will prepare them for tomorrow,” continued D’Angelo. “This support ensures our kids stay ahead of the curve and have every opportunity to succeed in an increasingly digital world.”
ESE is dedicated to the promotion of agriculture, industry and education. It is vital to the organization’s founding mission that it continues to support youths in New England and beyond, especially in our rapidly changing world.