A Weekend To Remember

To the Editor:

If you drove past the Quarry Ridge neighborhood on October 4 or 5, you most likely saw an amazing display of community spirit. We are moved beyond words by the amount of support for the benefit we threw for Ken Ayles and his family. The sea of people on Saturday is something that will be etched in our minds forever. While Sunday’s foul weather definitely put a damper on the activities, people still showed up to give us their support. The amount of money we were able to raise was far beyond our expectations. Nicer in Newtown? Yes indeed!

We’d like to extend a huge thank you to the Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company, whose presence with their two trucks definitely attracted people to the event. The kids loved climbing in the trucks and learning more about the fire department. The teenagers in the Junior Corps were great sports getting their faces painted!

For donations toward our bake sale, we’d like to thank Andrea’s Bakery, Dunkin’ Donuts and Blue Jay Orchards. Your donations of delicious baked goods, copious amounts of coffee and cream, and cider and cider donuts helped to make the bake sale a tremendous success!

For donations toward our silent auctions, we have many local businesses to thank. The generosity of these businesses was simply amazing and without them, we wouldn’t have been able to hold the silent auctions at all. Thank you: Starbucks, CVS, Our Green House, Ricci’s and Hero, Mocha Coffeehouse, Panino’s, Sandy Hook Wine & Liquor, Action Motors, Sal e Pepe’s, Tumble Jungle, New Wok, Carminuccio’s, Chuck’s Steak House, Carl Anthony’s Trattoria, and Big Y. Thank you Jim Caraluzzi, for the gift card to Caraluzzi’s Market, opening soon! A warm thank you also goes out to our anonymous donors, for your donations to the silent auctions, tag sale, bake sale, and your cash donations!

Finally, a huge thank you to Dunkin’ Donuts, My Place, and Carminuccio’s for their donations of food for our volunteers working the sale and the members of the fire department! You were all wonderfully generous with your donations and our group was well fed and happy both days.

We are pleased to be able to give the Ayles family enough funds to fulfill their dream vacation to Disney this fall and also to help to pay for medical treatments and/or living expenses. We can’t thank the community enough for your generous support!

On behalf of the Quarry Ridge neighborhood,

Sincerely,

Sonya Greenawalt

7 Quarry Ridge Road, Sandy Hook                             October 8, 2008