THANK YOU FRANKLIN COUNTY & NORTH QUABBIN!
This year the Meals on Wheels Walkathon was able to raise $42,000, an increase of $8,000 over the 2008 total, in spite of the economic crunch!
We were greatly helped by our major sponsors who contributed to build up the Walkathon: Greenfield Savings Bank ($10,000 over 2 years), The Bank of Western Massachusetts ($5,000 over 2 years), and the Gilman Trust ($4,000). Five businesses/foundations each gave at least $1000: Athol/Orange Rotary, Yankee Candle, Cherewatti Family Fund, Bete Fog Nozzle, and the Rice Family Foundation.
Athol Council on Aging Walkers
Great thanks, also, to our “Silver Carriage Donors” ($500-$999): Collective Home Care, Lightlife Foods, Inc. Renaissance Builders, Sandri and St. Stanislaws Society.
Our “Bronze Donors” each gave $250-$499 for the Walk: The Arbors of Greenfield, Athol Credit Union, Bateman Caterers, Annie Plunkett, and Stobierski and Stobierski, Attorneys.
The Walk benefited from many in-kind donations from Adams Direct Mail, The Greenfield Recorder, The Town Crier, WHAI, WJDF, The Montague Cable, and Copy Cat Print Shop.
Finally, our walkers benefited from the many prizes given by fine businesses. Top prizes went to walkers from: China Gourmet, which provides gift certificates for the top fundraising group; The Four Leaf Clover; El Greco’s; Thai Blue Ginger; and Turner’s Second Street Bakery provided restaurant certificates.
Greenfield Meals on Wheels Packing Kitchen Staff
From Deerfield, Chandler's awarded a Teddy Bear Tea, and Magical Child provided gifts for the youngest walker. Greenfield grocers Foster’s Market, Franklin Community Co-op—Green Fields Market and McCuskers, and Big Y supported the Walk, as did Hannaford's in Orange. The top high school fundraiser received a certificate from Turners Falls’ Rendezvous. Plus we received prizes and food for our young and old walkers from Dunkin Donuts (2 locations in Greenfield), Burger King, McDonald's, and Friendly’s.
Thanks to all the community-minded businesses and everyone who helped make the day a great one!
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE WALKATHON!
This year the group winning the prize for raising the most money is the “Orange Wheeler Mealers,” which will be getting the gift certificates awarded as prizes by China Gourmet, and some special prizes for Cub Scout Pack 40, who were part of the Wheeler Mealers! The Orange Wheeler Mealers have a great story to tell. The group centers around the Orange Meals on Wheels Kitchen, but they really worked so hard to make this a Walk a success this year. They held a spaghetti supper, which raised $535.00. They held a roller skating event. They staffed tables in front of both the Orange Walmart and the Workers Credit Union, in addition to raising funds on sponsor sheets. Most important, they pulled together and had fun doing it, and in the process did lots of outreach to the Orange community. Thanks to Charlotte Weltzin, Laura Monnett, Jim Truehardt, the whole Gaudet Family, and to all Orange Team, raising $2170.00!
Montague and Erving Senior Centers
Of course, they were not the only team that worked so hard on this year's walk. Special appreciation has to go to all our individuals and groups of Walkers. First, the staff of FCHCC in Turners Falls, the hard working Clogston Cloggers, raised nearly $2000, supplemented by the Money Management Program at FCHCC, thanks to Elaine Begley and Barbara Levy. Special mention has to be made of the folks at the Athol Senior Center who, with the help of Bea Bowers, raised $1,133. Our thanks go to the famous Greenfield Green Team, Shelburne Falls Senior Center and Meals on Wheels drivers, Gill-Montague Senior Center, The Erving Senior Center supporting Dot Black, the Northfield and Bernardston Senior Centers, Amandla Community Chorus, Mary Crawford and The Body Shop, Franklin County CDC and Larry DiLuzio, Franklin County Tech School’s Cindy Caplice and Jordan Barrett, Greenfield Dental Associates, The Seamans Family walking in memory of Kristen Seamans, Orange Methodist Church, All Souls Church, First Parish Deerfield Congregational Church, Girl Scout Troop 567, the Leyden Police Department, the Phillipston Council on Aging, the Petersham Hill Toppers, Warwick Senior Center and Thompson Family, the entire Linden Hill School, Adams Farm, Rite Aid, and so many individuals who worked so hard to make the Walkathon a big success!
We raised over $42,000.00 this year, our largest Walk ever, and had many new faces among the 176 people who attended the Walk.
West County Walkers
Our top fundraiser this year is Chair of our FCHCC Board, Regina Curtis, from Greenfield Community College, who raised $1570. In the same league are our “over $1000” fundraisers: Marian Holbrook, Northfield; Dot Black for the Erving Seniors, and Autumn Tidlund from Greenfield High School, winning gift certificates from our generous prize sponsors.
Our prizewinning Oldest Walker was Eleanor Duncan at nearly 84 years. Youngest Walker is SHINE coordinator, Lorraine Edberg’s grand daughter Amelia Bruso, 2 years and 9 months, who wins a prize from Magical Child, and a gift certificate to the Teddy Bear Tea at Chandler’s.
The student raising the most money was Autumn Tidlund at $1000, who earned a $250 contribution to her college fund, and a gift certificate to The Rendezvous in Turners Falls.
The prize for the most unique way to get around the Franklin County Tech School track has to go to Annie Keough and Suzie Paluchi. Annie, rolling in her wheelchair and dressed as a cheese sandwich, was pushed by Suzie as an ear of corn—together they were “A Very Corny Meal on Wheels!” Runner up was Jack Tannenbaum, our Meals on Wheels Clown, who also created many a unique headdress for the walk participants!
Finally, we want to thank all the businesses that sponsored the Walk, and the wonderful Amandla Community Chorus, 14 singers led by Eveline MacDougall, who sang us around the track! And the dynamic Annie Hassett, who led elders in singing those wonderful oldies!