Around Town

Watertown Woman Spearheads Effort to Raise Money for Homeless Veterans

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Rather than have a birthday celebration for her 85th birthday, real estate agency owner and Watertown resident Sonia Boyajian decided to raise money to help homeless veterans. Boyajian, who owns Real Estate 109 on the Belmont/Watertown line, asked the owner of Not Your Average Joe’s restaurants, Stephen Silverstein, about doing a month-long fundraiser. “I just couldn’t accept that some of our veterans, who’d served our country, were without places to live,” Boyajian said. Silverstein agreed to have the fundraiser at all 16 for the New England Center for Homeless Veterans of his restaurants and in addition offered to host a ticketed event in the Watertown NYAJs at the end of October to help launch Veterans Month in November. The sold-out fundraiser, held on Oct.

Around Town

Find Out How to Help Family of 6 Displaced by Fire

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A fire struck a home on Amherst Road Sunday around noon, and while the fire did not destroy the home the family of six living there will be displaced for several weeks. A fundraising effort has been set up to help the Harsh family. The family has four children, ages 6 to 17, and three of the children are currently staying with friends, according to the GoFundMe.com page set up by Ida Mae Stone, mother of Angela Giard Harsh. Watertown Firefighters responded to the fire that hit the rear of the home. “A quick aggressive attack by truck and engine companies limited the damage to the outside of the structure,” an account on the Watertown Fire Department Facebook page reads. The family lost many possessions and need additional help, according to Stone.

Business

Insurance Agency Seeks to Beat Record for Toys for Tots

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Last year, H&K Insurance Agency of Watertown collected the most items for the Toys for Tots drive, and they seek to beat it this year. The toy drive has been able to distribute over 469 million toys to less fortunate children thanks to the help of generous people. In years past, CISR, AAI Treasurer/General Manager Paul Perry and his wife, Daralyn Perry, CISR Commercial Lines Manager, have donated generously to Toys for Tots from their own pockets. They hope others will join them this year. “Helping those in need is something that we really value here at H & K Insurance,” said Perry.

Business

See Why Tufts Health Plan is Going Purple This Month

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You may have noticed that the Tufts Health Plan building on Mt. Auburn Street has been lit up purple this week. The employees have been donning purple outfits too. The company is once again observing World Alzheimer’s Month with activities to help bring an end to the disease. Over the past week, employees from all locations wore purple to raise awareness and show support for current sufferers and their caregivers.

Around Town

Watertown Resident Spreads Word About Animal Rescue League

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Caitlin Oates, a Watertown resident and manager of the Animal Rescue League of Boston, took part in an event to support the ARL in Boston’s Seaport. Also at the Seaport Hotel’s Canines & Cocktails event was WCVB’s EyeOpener Anchor Randy Price, who brought one of his nine dogs, former Grand Champion Boston Bruin, or “Bruin.” Around 100 supporters – both two- and four-legged – turned out to raise money and awareness and to meet 5-year-old dauchshund mom Sadie and her 2-year-old son Ringo, who are available for adoption at the ARL.

Business

Watertown Savings Donates to Group that Works with Those with Special Needs

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Watertown Savings Bank recently presented a check to the Great Waltham Arc for their Annual Harvest Breakfast. The bank donated $2,500 to Greater Waltham Arc, which works with children, adolescents and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families in the community, utilizing a person-centered planning approach. The 44th annual Harvest Breakfast will be held on Oct. 19 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Embassy Suites Waltham. The breakfast helps the Greater Waltham Arc and raises awareness about what the group does.

Business

Tufts Health Plan Foundation Awards $1.6 Million in Grants

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Watertown-based Tuft Health Plan Foundation has handed out more than $1.6 million in grants to 43 organizations in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The grants are part of the first cycle of funding in 2014, according to an announcement from the foundation. Some of the grant recipients are in Watertown or serve the community, including the Watertown Community Foundation and Springwell. The largest number of grants this cycle fell in the Health & Wellness program area, primarily for initiatives that promote chronic disease self-management and prevention, exercise and nutrition, and fall prevention. The foundation also awarded more than 25 percent of its grants in the area of Purposeful Engagement, which includes community involvement, volunteerism and intergenerational programs as well as caregiver support programs.

“We’re proud of our partnerships in community and recognize that we don’t do this work alone,” said Nora Moreno Cargie, executive director of the Tufts Health Plan Foundation and vice president, corporate citizenship for Tufts Health Plan.

Around Town

Big Bunch of Bikes Donated to Watertown Boys & Girls Club

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Ten members of the Watertown Boys & Girls Club headed over to the Belmont Country Club and received a special gift – a new bike. In all, 40 new bikes were donated to the club. The bicycles come courtesy of Intuit Software and Best Corporate Events and were assembled as part of a team building exercise. “The bikes will be distributed to club members over the next few days,” said Renee Gaudette, executive director of the club. “The Watertown Boys and Girls Club wishes to thank Best Corporate Events and Intuit Software for selecting our organization as beneficiary of this amazing donation!”