Weekend of thanks
PUTNAM — Thanksgiving weekend truly proved to be a weekend of thanks for the Putnam Salvation Army.
Kathi Peterson, director of the Salvation Army office in Putnam, and Roberta Rocchetti, Putnam Rotary Club Interact Club advisor, said they were so grateful for the “amazing donations kicking off the Christmas Kettle campaign.”
The kettles, at the Putnam Walmart, Putnam Stop & Shop, Putnam Price Chopper and Putnam Supermarket, pulled in more than $4,000.
Bell ringing continues from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 6, 13 and 20 at those four stores.
The Putnam Salvation Army office located with Daily Bread in the Living Faith United Methodist Church, receives 90 percent of all donations in the kettles to be used for the needy in northeastern Connecticut.
Rocchetti thanked: Gabriell Cerasiello, Paige Perry, Kaylee Borders, Kaydence Morris, Leah Benzie, Cole Patterson, Bailey Champagne, Kadence Perez from Putnam High; and Calleigh Levesque, Estela Freitas, Anna Bell, Bella Bonin, Caitlyn L’Heureux, Shyla Beckett, Matthew Rybacki, Joshua Tackson, Tyler Parkin from Tourtellotte Memorial; Anna Dicola-Keddy, Evony Jolie N’Chonon, Melanie Dipippo, Jackson Durand, Brayden Bottone, Kaylee Bundy, Isabelle Tedisky, Ivan Lin from Woodstock Academy. She also thanked: Devi Patel-Gandhi, Yashvi Swadia, Henrietta Hayes, Emma Martineau from Marianapolis. Alumni bell ringers from UConn included: Jordan Butler, Eric Levesque, Talia Tremblay, Livia Gerum, plus Maya Gerum from Northeastern, Kaelyn Tremblay from Wentworth, Max Gerum from Pomfret School; Hudson and Harper Smith from Woodstock Elementary. She thanked Rotaract members Matthew Gardiner, Larda Yottivong, John Spratt and Mariah Deyo. She also thanked Rotarians and parents who helped set up and manned the kettles: Jonathan and Keri Tremblay, Woody and Dottie Durst, Mike, Roberta and Leo Rocchetti, Kayla Morin, Joseph Adiletta, Jennifer Brytowski with Kasandra and Shyla Beckett and Amira Lee, Patty Gaffney with Ashley and Cody, Bryan Tedisky, Richard Loomis and Carl Durand.

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captions, top to bottom:

Loomis team from left: Max Gerum, Dick Loomis, Livia Gerum, Harper Smith, Maya Gerum, Hudson Smith

American Legion Post Commander Michael Rocchetti

Paige Perry, Gabby Cerasiello, Kaylee Borders

Estela Freitas, Calleigh Levesque, Matthew Rybacki

Caitlyn L'Heureux, Anna Bell, Bella Bonin