Helping our Community

Please try to make some time for our Red Cross Blood Drive on August 19th.  Based on last year’s excellent turnout, the Red Cross is planning to send twice as many nurses this year.  Let’s not let them down.  Blood supplies are always very low in July and August because so many people are away on vacation. However, pool owners are around, because you all have swimming pools!  Let’s all do our part – the life you save could be your own or that of a loved one.  As we did last year, we’ll put together “thank you” gift bags and (according to the Red Cross people) the best food of any bloodmobile anywhere!

We just finished another project for Make-A-Wish:  a Marquis Reward hot tub for a young man in Somersworth.  It was our second hot tub for Make-A-Wish (we’ve done two others for High Hopes) and the 175th for Marquis.  The total value of over $10,000 for a customized spa with accessories, set-up and delivery is honestly more than Jeanne and I can afford without cutting back on some of our other local charities.  However, it’s amazing what you can accomplish when you get lots of people involved.  Our vendors have always been willing to step up to the plate when we ask, and the Make-A-Wish national office also helped out.

You folks have also been wonderful in helping us out with donations at the cash registers, answering polls when we make donations for answers, and buying the logo merchandise offered near the cash registers – for which we donate all of the receipts to local charities.  Your support helps us to help others – and that is just the greatest feeling in the world.