Charity

Donation Drive & Free Store Hosted by Watertown Mutual Aid on May 16

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Donations of clothes, diapers, toiletries and other times will be accepted during a donation drive on Sunday, May 16. Wayside Youth and Family Support Network and the Watertown Community Foundation will host a donation drive on May 16 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ballroom in Boston, 100 Parker St. in Watertown. Items being collected include: new and like-new children’s warm-weather clothes (newborn to young adult), new youth goggles, summer activities and games, seed packets, working fans, diapers and baby wipes, feminine products, and personal care items (shampoo, toothpaste, etc.). Following the drive, there will be a free store from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., open to all.

Around Town

Watertown Group Supporting 25th Annual Mother’s Day Walk for Peace, Raising Funds

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The group from Watertown Walks for Peace participated in the 2019 Mother’s Day Walk for Peace. This year there will be a symbolic walk in Watertown. The following information was provided by Watertown Walks for Peace:

For the seventh consecutive year Watertown residents will once again join in the Mothers’ Day Walk for Peace, supporting the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute and its services to families and communities affected by gun violence. This year is the 25th anniversary of the Mother’s Day Walk for Peace and, like last year, will once again be a virtual fundraising event because of the pandemic. This will be the seventh year in a row that Watertown Walks for Peace (WW4P) is participating in the annual Mothers’ Day Walk for Peace.

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Watertown Woman Honored by Boston Celtics as a “Hero Among Us”

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Watertown’s Cathy O’Grady was named a Hero Among Us by the Boston Celtics for her work with the Sophia’s Angels Foundation. The following announcement was provided by the Boston Celtics:

The Boston Celtics recently honored Watertown resident Cathy O’Grady as a ‘Hero Among Us’ for her role in spreading joy throughout the community and helping others in need. 

For over a decade, O’Grady has been serving the community through random acts of kindness and the generous donations of blankets, toys, food, and winter essentials for those in need, as well as masks throughout the pandemic. She is the founder of Sofia’s Angels Foundation, which has recruited hundreds of volunteers and raised thousands of dollars to spread joy in the lives of others. 

For her compassionate service, commitment to the community, and heart for giving, the Boston Celtics chose to honor Cathy O’Grady as a ‘Hero Among Us’ at their April 7th game against the New York Knicks. 

Charity

Cunniff School PTO Auctioning Bricks from Old School During Fundraiser

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The Cunniff Elementary School PTO announced a fundraiser where you can get a piece of the old school. The event is open to the public. The silent auction where 40 bricks from the old school building can be bid on will run from April 26 to May 7, and will be he held online at https://www.32auctions.com/cunniffbricks

The following information came from the Cunniff PTO:

Our beautiful new Cunniff school facility is currently being built, though the old school will always hold special memories for former and current Cunniff Cougars. The Cunniff PTO is holding a silent auction featuring bricks from the old Cunniff building, and the proceeds will help raise money for classroom supplies, future field trips, social activities, and classroom enrichment programs for our students. Now is your chance to show your Watertown pride and display a piece of school history in your home!

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Watertown Boy Who Beat Cancer to be Featured at Make-A-Wish Gala

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Young cancer survivor Noah McManus thanks the Watertown Police, Fire Department and Department of Public Works for putting on a parade outside his home on Friday. A Watertown boy who beat cancer will be featured by Make-A-Wish during an online event. Noah McManus recently received a drive-by parade with vehicles from the Watertown Police, Fire Department and Department of Public Works to celebrate his bill of good health (see details here). Make-A-Wish provided the following announcement about the gala:

Make-A-Wish® Massachusetts and Rhode Island will feature the story of Noah McManus, 3, from Watertown, MA, during the Make-A-Wish® Gala: Heroes for Hope, a live virtual event taking place at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 10, 2021. Noah, who has undergone chemotherapy for Langerhans cell histiocytosis, wished for a superhero playhouse and his wish was granted through generous community support.

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$125K in Grants Available from Watertown Community Foundation for Education, Community Organizations

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The Watertown Community Foundation (WCF) announces two Spring 2021 grant programs to support local nonprofits, community-based organizations, programs, and projects. Approximately $125,000 will be distributed, nearly double 2020’s distribution. WCF’s Program Grants will support organizations that serve Watertown to develop new or continue existing programs with an educational focus (broadly defined) and do not involve Watertown’s public schools. Eligible organizations may apply for grants of $500 up to $5,000. WCF’s Institutional Support Grants are designed to help institutions central to the Watertown community by providing funds to maintain critical programming, staff, and cover operating costs. Grants under this program impose neither restrictions on the use of funds nor any program requirements. Eligible organizations may apply for grants of up to $7,500.

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Watertown Scouts Collected over 5,000 Lbs. of Donations for Watertown Food Pantry

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Watertown Scout Tage Weeden pushes a cart load of donations into the Watertown Food Pantry. The following announcement was provided by Watertown Troop 30:

Scouts collected 2.5 tons of food for the food pantry this past November, but both the Coronavirus pandemic and the resulting unemployment in Watertown has hit our community hard. At the November drive Kathleen Cunningham, Director of the Watertown Food Pantry made an unusual request: Could another food drive be held soon? Scouting for Food is a service project the BSA Scouts have participated in for years: Supporting a local food pantry, scouts across the U.S. collect food once a year, usually around Thanksgiving when many are feeling generous. Scouting for Food in Watertown is a tradition near to the scouts’ hearts: Both the Watertown Food Pantry and the scouts call the Watertown-Belmont United Methodist Church at 80 Mt.

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Watertown Police Officers Cook Up, Serve St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast to Homeless Veterans

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Watertown Police officers Keith Parent (front), Kyle Rooney, Frank Forde and Mike Martino work with a member of the New England Center and Home for Veterans to serve breakfast on St. Patrick’s Day. The effort was spearheaded by Forde. More than a dozen Watertown police officers and firefighters gathered early on the morning of St. Patrick’s Day at the Sons of Italy Hall to prepare a traditional Irish breakfast for 200 people at the New England Center and Home for Veterans.