Community Spirit At Its Best
Community Spirit At Its Best
To the Editor:
The Newtown Chapter of Regional Hospice and Home Careâs Summer Breakfast on June 15 was community spirit at its best.
On behalf of the Regional Hospice Board of Directors, staff, and families in our care, my heartfelt thanks to the Newtown Fundraising Chapter Volunteers, our gracious host, John Royce and his staff of The Waterview, and everyone who got up early to celebrate and support the work of Regional Hospice.
Chapter Co-Chairs Marg Studley and Marie Sturdevant and their industrious cohorts Marilyn Alexander, Ellen Gehrett, Coleen Honan, Janet Hovious, Judy Lecko, Maureen Crick Owen, Linda Trentacosta, and Laurie Wrable made our 22nd Annual Summer Breakfast for Regional Hospice our most successful breakfast â $25,600 raised to date!
These savvy Samaritans rallied 400 business leaders, friends and neighbors to sponsor 45 tables; including major corporate sponsorships by TR Paul, Newtown Savings Bank, Union Savings Bank, and the Newtown Lions Club. We are truly grateful for their generosity and for all who attended, bought miles of raffle tickets, and heard Regional Hospice board member Paul Sirois present our vision to provide real hope through a residential care option for our community.
As the keynote speaker that morning, Newtownâs Marilyn Alexander was the soul and spirit of the event. As a chapter co-founder, Marilyn dedicated her talk to co-founder, the late B.J. Geerer, and dedicated the last 22 years of her life to the Newtown Chapterâs support of more than $600,000 annually in free care and bereavement services for the patients and families. She courageously spoke about changing roles from Regional Hospice volunteer to family in our care, as her late husband, Paul, came onto the program during his final days.
I am deeply grateful to Marilyn for sharing her touching story and to the Newtown community for so enthusiastically embracing her advice to dig as deeply into their pockets as possible!
Regional Hospice is blessed to have such dedicated chapter volunteers partnered with Newtownâs abiding spirit of generosity and compassion. Thank you all for your continued support and for sharing our vision of hope for families facing loss.
Cynthia Roy Squitieri,
Executive Director
Regional Hospice and Home Care
405 Main Street Danbury                                               June 22, 2011