Good News For NEWS

To the Editor:

On behalf of the Newtown Ecumenical Workcamp Students (NEWS), we would like to thank everyone who helped make our annual fundraising breakfast a very successful and entertaining event.

NEWS is an ecumenical group of 29 students from Newtown Congregational Church, St Rose Catholic Church, the United Methodist Church, Sacred Heart Catholic Church and a few un-affiliated students. These teens, along with their chaperones, spend one week of their summer vacation performing much-needed home repairs for the elderly, the disabled, and the disadvantaged. This year, the students will be traveling in June to Oakland, Md.

We would like thank our fellow advisory board members and their families for their dedication and many hours of hard work — Jerry, Sheila and Matt Cole, Lori and Bob Morlath, Rich Weiss, the Reverend Matt Crebbin, Vicky Truitt and Shawna King.

Thank you to Carl Lindquist and his creative entertainment committee who provided us with a fabulous video and live performance of “Workcamp Idol.” To J. Edwards, our emcee for the morning (and a former chaperone), thank you for supporting workcamp yet again; the breakfast wouldn’t be the same without your voice. We are indebted to Karen Keating and Vicky Truitt for their endless effort on this year’s breakfast and offer them our special thanks. Thank you to Eliza Hallabeck, Shannon Hicks and The Newtown Bee for their continued support of our workcamp mission program.

To the generous organizations, businesses and families that sponsored tables this year: Curtis Beck, DMD, Honan Funeral Home, Isagenix — Performance Training, Lathrop School of Dance, The LaurelRock Company, the Morlath Family, Newtown Lion’s Club, Newtown Rotary Club, Urology Associates of Danbury, and Taylor Lynn Carpentry, the many committees of Newtown Congregational Church, The United Methodist Church, we sincerely thank you for your support.

Many thanks to the generous businesses that donated items for our hugely successful raffle: Ace Hardware in Bethel, Avancé Esthétiques, Blue Colony Diner, Club New Fit, Cold Stone Creamery, Country Hearts, Edmond Town Hall Movies, Ferris Acres Creamery, Franco’s Pizza, The Inn at Newtown, JK’s Pizza LLC, Katherine’s Kitchen, Kings Restaurant, Lexington Gardens, The Lilla Fund, Mexicali Rose, Misty Vale Deli, Newtown General Store, Mocha Coffeehouse, Newtown Bait and Tackle, Newtown Florist, LLC, Nina’s Nail Salon, Robert Anthony’s, Sandy Hook Hair Co., Subway of Sandy Hook, Sugar Hill Service Center, Tambascio’s, The Fitness Loft, Thomas E. Salon and Villarina’s. Thank you also to the families of workcamp students that generously donated raffle items and gift baskets.

One last thank you to everyone who attended the breakfast at Roberto’s Restaurant in Monroe this past Saturday morning. We appreciate your support of these fine students. Their mission trip would not be possible without you.

Sincerely,

Terry Ferris and Sue Mouchantat

Workcamp Advisory Board

And Breakfast Organizers

144 Sugar Street, Newtown                                              April 7, 2009