Charity

Tickets Still Left for Watertown Education Foundation’s Dancing with the Stars

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The Watertown Education Foundation (WEF) will host its third annual, “Dancing with the Stars” (DWTS) event on Friday, May 6, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Hellenic Cultural Center, 25 Bigelow Ave., East Watertown, the Foundation announced. Modeled after the popular television show, the event features Watertown “stars” partnered with professional dancers from Ballroom in Boston located in Allston. The 2016 Stars are: Marianne Cameron, Cunniff School; Chris Crombie, Watertown Boys & Girls Club; Mialisa Depaolis, Mialisa Salon owner, Watertown; David Leon, Watertown resident and former School Committee member; Georgia Mulgrew, Hosmer School; Kim Seacrist, Cunniff parent; Ernie Thebado, Watertown Recreation Department; and Michael Venezia, Watertown resident. “This event the past two years has been a tremendous success,” said Amy Donohue, WEF co- president. “It is a fun night out for the adults, and a wonderful opportunity to support the WEF grant program.

Charity

Still Time to Sign Up for Watertown Community Foundation’s Volunteer Day

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The Watertown Community Foundation is preparing for the 2016 Watertown Helps Out day where people celebrate the town’s spirit by giving back. The foundation sent out the following announcement:

Join us on Saturday, May 7th for this year’s Watertown Helps Out: A Volunteer Day. Watertown Helps Out celebrates Watertown’s vibrant community spirit, and we encourage you to spend a few hours on May 7 giving back to our community. We hope to see you – come volunteer for a few hours with your family, a friend, or come and make new friends! Choose from many volunteer opportunities, such as:

Inventory library items and clean equipment at the Watertown Middle School
Clean up Whitney Hill, Fillipello Park and other public spaces
Garden, clean up and paint at the Watertown Boys & Girls Club
Spring clean at Gore Place
Plus options at Watertown Family Network, the Historical Society of Watertown, the Watertown Public Library and more…

Learn about all of the volunteer opportunities and register at: http://www.watertownfoundation.org/who2016

Before volunteering, come to the kickoff breakfast from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. on May 7th at The Arsenal Project at 485 Arsenal Street (inside, in front of Old Navy and Dunkin’ Donuts) to pick up your T-shirt and connect with other volunteers.

Business

Tufts Health Plan VP Honored for Her Devotion to Reading to Children

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During National Volunteer Week, Cambridge Mayor E. Denise Simmons recognized a long-time Morse Elementary School volunteer for her outstanding commitment to students as a lunch-time reading mentor through the national non-profit literacy and mentoring organization Read to a Child. Pamela Giannatsis, senior communications manager with Tufts Health Plan, a corporate sponsor of the program, has read to four consecutive students during nine years of volunteering, first in Waltham, and currently in Cambridge at the Morse Elementary School. Students are recommended for individual reading support by their teachers as early as first grade and the mentor-mentee relationship can continue through fourth grade. “I believe deeply that being able to read, and read well, should be considered a human right,” Pam explained during the 17th annual Cambridge Volunteer Awards Celebration Tuesday night, at the Cambridge Senior Center. “I am so grateful to Read to a Child for providing a model that allows employees like me to demonstrate our corporate citizenship values during work hours.

Around Town

Watertown Resident’s Blood Donation Earned a Trip to Opening Day

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Donating life-saving blood recently turned into an experience of a lifetime for Watertown resident Rachel Jacobs! She was named Blood Donor of the Game and was honored with tickets the Boston Red Sox Opening Day game against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday, April 11. Rachel entered to win the chance to become Blood Donor of the Game after recently donating blood with the American Red Cross. Together with the Boston Red Sox and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the Red Cross is proud to honor lucky presenting donors through the Blood Donor of the Game program. Fans are invited to enter to win after stepping up to the plate and volunteering to help patients in need.

Around Town

Watertown Community Foundation Looking for New Executive Director, See the Job Description

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After a dozen years of operation, with steadily increased grant making, fundraising and programmatic impact, the community foundation for the Commonwealth’s fastest growing town is seeking an Executive Director (ED), the WCF board announced. During a period of unprecedented population, residential and commercial growth in the community, combined with increased demographic changes, this part-
time position offers the opportunity for more than full time impact in WCF’s core areas of focus: education, health, arts and the environment. In partnership with an active and engaged 16 member board, the next ED will be the face of the foremost philanthropy in this dynamic and diverse community, and will shape its impact at a critical time. Position Description: The ED is responsible, under the Board’s direction, for the strategic growth and ongoing operations of the Foundation, in support of the WCF mission. This includes strategic planning concerning areas of WCF’s community awareness and involvement (visibility), ensuring impact through grant-making and other programs (impact), fundraising (development), and conducting core administrative functions (operations).

Charity

Fundraiser Planned for Man Facing Cancer Treatment, Rehabilitation

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A fundraiser will be held for Kevin Beaton, whose father-in-law works for the Watertown Department of Public Works. 

On April 26, 2015, Kevin Beaton was unexpectedly hospitalized with serious complications from cancer treatments. Having already endured numerous surgeries, additional Chemotherapy treatments, and the loss of his vision, Kevin is still hospitalized and continues to fight every day to get well. Thankfully Kevin is improving but he has a long way to go and still faces many months of additional treatments and rehabilitation. A fundraiser will be held for Kevin at the Canadian American Club, 202 Arlington St., Watertown, on April 16, 2016 from 4 p.m. to midnight. Enjoy raffles, a cash bar, refreshments and entertainment.

Charity

Watertown Groups Collecting Bikes for Program to Promote Social Change

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A bicycle collection for Bikes Not Bombs will take place on Saturday, April 23, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the First Parish of Watertown, 35 Church Street, Watertown, rain or shine, organizers announced. All types and sizes of bikes will be accepted, as well as bike parts, accessories, tools, and cycling clothing. A voluntary donation of $5 per bike will help defray the cost of finding a new home for your bike. Bikes Not Bombs is a Jamaica Plain based non-profit organization that uses the bicycle as a vehicle for social change. It reclaims thousands of used bicycles each year, and creates local and global programs that provide skill development, jobs, and sustainable transportation for youth and adults, both locally and internationally.

Business

Watertown Savings Hands Out $85K in Customer Choice Awards

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On Tuesday, April 5, Watertown Savings Bank (WSB) distributed $85,000 to the 26 local community organizations chosen by their banking customers, in the bank’s 20th annual Customer Choice Awards. The ceremony was held at the Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown. More than 200 bank employees and board members; representatives of the winning organizations; and town officials from Watertown, Waltham, and Belmont were in attendance. This year’s total brings the grand total of funds distributed via this program to one million dollars. The list of winners is below.