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A Genuine Community Effort

Thanks go to everyone who attended or contributed to this year’s Patriotic Dinner. This event was a genuine community effort to honor our veterans and thank them for their life of service to country and community and to raise funds for Meals on Wheels.

Our thanks go to Larry Santamaria for the delicious lasagna and for everything he does for so many in Guilford. Thanks go to Ron DeMartino and the members of American Legion Post 48; it was an honor to work with them to celebrate the post’s centennial. Our thanks go to the Parks & Recreation staff (always a pleasure to work with them) and to First Selectman Hoey, State Representative Sean Scanlon (D-98), and State Senator Christine Cohen (D-12), who, apron on, helped serve the 200 people present (including 74 veterans). Thanks go to the Pilgrim Fellowship kids who volunteered their time to serve and stayed after the dinner to help clean up.

Finally, we thank our hard-working Guilford Interfaith Volunteers Board of Directors, especially Linda and John McGuire, Bette Sommo, and Bob Donahue, for all the work they put into making the dinner a success.

As the holidays approach, we encourage everyone to support our local businesses, who are always willing to help the local non-profits. Many community merchants and individuals were very generous with their donations of prizes for the raffle. Our gratitude goes to Mix Design Store, Details, Strawberry Hollow Farm, Breakwater Books, The Spice & Tea Exchange, Forte’s Gourmet Market, Ella’s, April Rose, Bob Mansfield, Frank’s Package Store, Pasta Avest, Village Chocolatier, Centro’s Pizza, Page Hardware, Village Greene Gardens, Chroma Gallery, Salon H, Flowers on the Green, Purple Bear, Ashley’s, KC’s Pub, Big Y, and Stop & Shop in Branford.

We’re thankful to be a part of a such a caring community.

Marta Slattery, Director

Guilford Interfaith Volunteers