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Jeans Friday Fund-raising
Donating $5 to be able to wear jeans on Fridays at the Putnam Town Hall brought in $550 for Hospice. From left: Sara Seney, Jackie Lefevre, Kristen Willis from Day Kimball, Shannon O'Shea, Sue Ramos, Delpha Very and Missy Alden. Linda Lemmon photo.
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By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — Three months’ worth of wearing jeans on Fridays translated into helping the community.
At the Putnam Municipal Complex, an idea that had started at the old Economic Development office blossomed to cover the Town Hall.
Delpha Very, Economic Development director, said she and her assistant Jackie Lefevre used to do the $5 donation to be able to wear jeans to work each Friday. At a department heads meeting they asked if they could do Jeans Friday at the new Town Hall. Barney Seney, mayor, thought it was a great idea.
Those who took part each put a charity they liked into a basket and this first quarter, Shannon O’Shea’s charity, the DKH’s Hospice and Palliative Care of Northeast Connecticut was drawn. O’Shea had chosen that in honor of her father who was helped by Hospice.
The January through March Jeans Friday pulled in $550 which was given to Kristen Willis, Day Kimball Healthcare director of Development, on April 18 which happened to be the anniversary of O’Shea’s father’s burial.
Willis was thankful, saying “This supports the services not handled by insurance. Things like equipment, chairs, therapies, A/C and social work.” She added the majority of Hospice’s care is in a patient’s home. Volunteers are helping families so they can connect with their loved one instead of worrying about medications, etc.
One participant, Missy Alden, tax collector, said “We’ll do this four times a year to give back to the community.” They will be picking their next charity from the basket for the upcoming second quarter Jeans Friday fund-raising.
Those who took part included: Alden, O’Shea, Maureen Benway, Linda French, Jackie Lefevre, Angela Sanchez, Seney, Sarah Seney, Elaine Sistare, and Very.
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