To the Board of Selectmen
Chairman Dean Cronin and Clerk, Thomas Pires
Gentlemen:
On behalf of the members of the Tri-Centennial and Special Events Committee,I offer my sincere gratitude to the Board of Selectmen for appointing this special committee back in May of 2012. Because of your interest and understanding, the Town of Dighton was able to hold a very successful Tri-Centennial Ball and Social in September and a Tri-Centennial Feast last week using no Town monies whatsoever.
As a self-funded committee and through the tireless efforts of our members, we were able to raise more than $7,700.00 by selling ad space in our Ball Program Book as well as from special donations. Thus we were able to provide special events for our town on its anniversary year, and also to make substantial donations to the Dighton Food Bank.
More than one hundred advertising spaces were purchased for our Ball program book, which was given to all attendees at the Ball and to all advertisers. In addition to business advertisers, all but one of the living former Selectmen and every member of the present Board purchased space in the booklet, with many including personal comments. The Police Association, the Dighton Water District Commission Chairman Patrick Menges, the North Dighton Fire District, Representative Patricia Haddad and Senator Mark Pacheco were among the many contributors.
Photographer Ron O'Connor took keepsake photographs for purchase at the ball and every cent above his expenses was donated to the Dighton Food Bank -- $300.00. We are very grateful to Ron for his labor of love.
Last week we held our Tri-Centennial Holiday Feast at Alice's Last Stop Restaurant, where diners got their tickets for $1 or $2 plus two items for the food bank. The Committee paid the balance of the cost of the meals, which amounted to nearly $2,000.00. As a result, we were able to donate more than 700 items to the Food Bank while spending down nearly all of our funds in a tri-centennial effort - as was our intent.
Special contributors to our efforts were the Dighton Police Association, who donated the price of the DJ, $350.00, for the Ball and Social, and the Dighton Fire Association, which contributed $350.00 to the Colonial Feast and to Anjulan's Florist and Garden in Rehoboth, who donated flowers for the Ball and Social, as well as to the many others who donated items for our raffle. That raffle, by the way, was also free of charge.
Of course, we also thank The Segregansett Country Club for their beautiful space and ambiance for our historic Ball and Social, as well as Brian Stone, owner of Alice's Last Stop Restaurant, who prepared those wonderful turkey dinners and delicious apple crisp desserts for our Holiday Feast. And special thanks, also, to Jack Torres, who wrote a poem commemorating the feast. And everyone should know that State Representative Patricia Haddad not only attended the feast, but helped serve the food, as well! Thanks, Pat, from all of us!
Our thanks also to Davol Printing, whose excellent work on our booklet in conjunction with the efforts of our own Elizabeth Ruiz resulted in the fine document we proudly gave out to advertisers and attendees alike.
I want to be sure to mention our committee members - in alphabetical order -Sheila Beattie, Committee Treasurer Deborah Fredericks, Patricia Hamilton, Karen O'Connor, Dorothy Torres, Elizabeth Ruiz and Town Historian Elaine Varley. They all worked tirelessly together to accomplish our goals. And theirs was a great commitment! Between May 9th and November 27th, we held 22 committee meetings in order to get the job done right. I also include here the name of former member Theresa Fredericks, with thanks for her help with the Ball, although she left our membership before the Feast.
As for those many meetings, we are especially grateful to the folks at Torres Insurance, who have kindly let us use their conference room 22 times so far.
Many efforts 'above and beyond' basic requirements were made by everyone on the committee, but I wish to especially commend Karen O'Connor, whose personal commitment resulted in more than half of the ads for our book and the special donations, as well as the feast, which was her suggestion. I know that the rest of the committee will agree that Karen deserves our special public thanks.
In closing, I want to be sure that the people of Dighton know that it has been a privilege for all of us who have served on the Tri-Centennial Ball and Special Events Committee to have had the opportunity to actively participate in Dighton's history in 2012. We hope that perhaps someone will remember our efforts when the next celebration happens fifty years from now - perhaps look back and say "those folks had fun together, and did a great job for the Town of Dighton." Most of us won't be here, but we will be watching!!
Very sincerely,
Myrna D. Santos, Chairman
Tri-Centennial Ball and Special Events Committee
