Ringing Up

A Great Year

To the Editor:

To sum up the 2004 Newtown Service Unit of the Salvation Army’s annual bellringing, I can say it in one word: Wow!

We surpassed our expectations through the energetic and gleeful bellringers as follows:

One Hour: Michael and Linda Tuccio; Bill and Barbara Webb; Hugh Findlay; Liz and Paul Arneth; Jim Larin; Kevin Corey; Bob and Sylvia Poulin; Allan and Patty Graves; Tracey Brunton; Doug Russell; Doug Body; Walter Schweikert; Jerry Cole, Mark, Laura and Matthew Carminucci; June McGroary; Judy Matricarde; John and Chris Reed; Eda Sherman; Richard Miller; Barbara O’Connor; Chuck Newman; Jean Rau; Marilyn Alexander; Nancy Larin; Carolyn and Bill Downing; Pat and Bill Denlinger; George Mattegat; Wendy Fong; Tony Neri; Dan and Colleen Honan; Marge Eldridge; Mary Edwards; Barbara, Ken, and Steve Bigham; Jean James; Lynn Buttner; Barbara and Howard Gorham; Marg and Don Studley; Joan and Bob Tynan; Marie Sturdevant; Bill and Sally O’Neil; Betty and Gordon Mounts; Jane and Joe Bojnowski; Milda and Bill Kolesar; Chuck Leety; Don Sharpe; Betty Lincoln; Paul Lux; Bill Timmel; Evie and Bill Watts; Alan Clavette; John Klopfenstein; Joe Borst; Fred and Debbie Stakel; John and Lydia Christiansen; Stan Wyslick; Jim Manfille; John and Kathy Madzula; Lisa Rodden; Dunham Smith; Coke and Al Cramer; Mary Ann Bellinson; Jane Sharpe; Bill Brett; Gordon and Lina Williams; Bruce Landgrebe; Bob Alex; Brian Finlayson; Bob Shaw; Patty and Janine Dubois; Barbara and Billy Bloom; Patricia Bailey; and Gene Marks.

Two Hours: Kathi Peterman, Kathy Povall, Brendajo Locke, John O’Byrne, Alan Martin, John Cochran, Glenna and Ed Rees, Hugh Findlay, Carol Mattegat, Don Ferris, and Laurie Wrabel.

Special thank you to the Newtown Lions Club, the Newtown Rotary Club, and the Men’s Fellowship Club of the Newtown Congregational Church who provided us with many of the above bellringers.

As always, our heartfelt thanks to Stop & Shop, Yankee Discount Wine & Liquor, Dunkin’ Donuts, CVS, Pizza Palace, Bagel Delight, and Lexington Gardens who provided us with an area to set up and ring bells. These businesses do this each year so willingly and actually look forward to having us!

The Taunton Press presented us with their annual $1,000 donation for which we extend to them our gratitude for their generosity. Union Savings Bank, Carolyn V. McKechnie, Carolyn and Bill Downing, Eugene and Doris Travis, are to be thanked also for their generous checks.

Sylvia and I believe that the front page photo of some of our bellringers prompted so many to come out and sign up! Thank you Kaaren Valenta and The Bee. Thank you also to The Bee’s John Voket for the informative article he wrote about our Service Unit. We were so fortunate this year that we extended our hours on the last weekend to accommodate most of those who wanted to volunteer. We regret that we were not able to put all of you to work, but promise we will have more hours next year.

As always, our husbands were so supportive in our efforts and they gave so much of their time to this year’s bellringing. Thank you for all that you did in putting out and taking in of the kettles and for just being there.

Now for the great news. We raised $8,967! This amount was realized not only through all those donations listed above but augmented by those many who sent checks in support of the Christmas season. Thanks to all of you also.

In appreciation,

Sylvia Poulin

Marie Sturdevant

Co-Chairmen

Boggs Hill Road, Newtown                                    January 10, 2005