To the Editor:

Families United in Newtown (FUN), recreational program for families with special needs children, teens and adults, sponsored their 10th Anniversary Benefit Concert on Friday, December 30 in the beautiful Congregational Church sanctuary, which was staged to look like a typical American holiday living room!

Over one hundred attendees enjoyed the “FUNRaiser” that included an evening full of seasonal jazz tunes and several traditional holiday songs followed by a dessert hour in the Great Room with more live jazz music and several scrumptious desserts and drinks for the guests.

The Newtown National Honor Society students and other volunteers helped decorate, serve desserts and mentor students during the show.

Many thanks to Jay Thomas (MC); Hafez Taghavi and Madelyn Aug (music directors); Alexandra Saraceno (pianist); Grant Ossendryver (technical director); Maggie Alexander and Ava Holmes (stage managers); Peter McLoughlin (videographer); John Voket (performer and Editor at The Newtown Bee); Mae Wong, photographer; Dr Margaret Bauman, neurologist and brain researcher; and 26 extremely talented musicians that donated their time and talent for our cause.

Thank you Newtown Congregational Church and the church’s Steve Bennett, Bob Keegan and Vicki Truitt; Newtown Public Schools; NHS National Honor Society and their Director Mr Jeff Tolson; Newtown Methodist Church; Inspiring School of Music; Suzuki Music School; Southbury Printing Centre; BD Provisions; Chintz-n-Prints; Beth Meszaros; Dawn Lipke; Anita and Peter Lucsky; Erica Shaker; Doris and Chuck Samson; Monsie and Kevin Hobbs; First Selectman Dan Rosenthal; State Rep Mitch Bolinsky; the FUN Board of Directors; our FUN parents; and the outstanding audience. We are so happy and grateful that several of our previous NHS National Honor Society FUN Mentors traveled home for the holidays and were able to attend the event, including Greg Campbell (Philadelphia) and Austin Jones (Milford, Conn.) — two of the founding members of FUN.

It takes a village to put on a Benefit Concert — thank you to everyone that supported our event. It was a great success because everyone worked together.

Best wishes to all during the coming year.

Linda and Duane Jones — Founders of FUN

Sandy Hook