To the Editor: vfwpost308newtown@gmail.com. Every little bit helps.

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who came out on Saturday, October 15, to support the Family Arts Fun Fair jointly sponsored by the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission and VFW Post 308. Our goal was to have a great day filled with arts, vendors, pumpkins, face painting, and delicious food while we raised money for scholarships and awards for our Newtown students.

We raised enough money to cover the VFW Patriot's Pen, Voice of Democracy, and Teacher of the Year Awards, as well as two Athlete of the Year awards for graduating high school seniors.

We are just shy of raising $1,000 for an additional Cultural Arts Commission scholarship. We would like to give three awards this spring to graduating seniors in lieu of two. If you would like to help get us up to our goal, please reach out to me at

In particular, I want to extend my deepest appreciation to Linda Watson and Barbara Formica, Arts Commission, who without their help this event would not have been able to happen. They devoted countless hours organizing our vendors and silent auction and managed everything with precision and artistic talent. I want to thank Walter Dolan and Donald Bashak from the Newtown VFW who worked tirelessly handling behind the scenes support for two months preparing for the event. Lastly, I want to thank LeReine Frampton for her unending devotion to our veterans and our students. LeReine prepared and organized the food, the menu, and so much more. Her support and generosity is unending. To all the other members of the Arts Commission and the VFW, I say, "Thank you!" for all that you did.

Donna Monteleone Randle

VFW Post 308

Freedom Defenders Way, Newtown         October 19, 2016