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10 3013 Report <br />°300th Anniversary i <br />Schools <br />We were delighted by the positive and energetic response of <br />officials and educators at all of our schools to participate in <br />a number of ways in our celebration. Please see the report <br />of the School Committee for details. <br />Fundraising <br />The Town of Lexington provided the initial funds required <br />to undertake major event planning for the celebrations. The <br />300th Committee's goal was to provide events that were <br />free or affordable to the community. <br />Fundraising Projects <br />For this reason, the Committee, Event Team and PR Team <br />tried to find creative ways to raise funds. The 300th Street <br />Banner project was overseen by Eric Carlson. Carlson ini- <br />tiated the idea of designing banners that could be affixed <br />to street poles. Betsy Sarles designed a set of four colorful <br />banners and donors who contributed at specified levels were <br />able to select the color of their choice, and to include their <br />name or a business name on the banner. As events grew, the <br />number of banners grew, reaching a point where it became <br />challenging to identify suitable poles for additional banners. <br />The first fundraising project was the 300th enameled boost- <br />er pin. Donors who gave $10.00 received this pin while sup- <br />plies lasted. 1,000 pins were issued. <br />The Country Fair offered a major fundraising opportunity <br />and many Lexington businesses and several craftspeople do- <br />nated $300.00 to have a table at the Fair. The Quilting, Fiber <br />Arts and Textile Committee was placed at the center of Ter- <br />centennial Tent. For donations to the town, fairgoers could <br />take home beautiful quilts, hand -made scarves, jewelry, small <br />pocket purses, pillows, doll clothing. Eleanor Smith donated <br />a patriotic miniature room box for a special raffle. <br />300th logo wear was also unveiled at the Country Fair, in- <br />cluding t- shirts, pencils, and lanyards. Michelson's Shoes <br />and Crafty Yankee served as points of procurement for the <br />community throughout the 9 -month celebration. The com- <br />ic book Lexington Then and Now proved profitable as well. <br />The October Musical Fashion Revue was a fundraiser and <br />tickets were available for donations of $10.00, $20.00 or <br />$30.00. Revenue from the refreshments, Fiber Arts Table <br />and Silent Auction helped make the event successful, rais- <br />ing approximately $10,000. <br />Individual artists contributed as well. Merri Forsyth creat- <br />ed a special quilt that was raffled by Crafty Yankee, adding <br />$500.00 to the 300th Committee accounts. Crafty Yankee <br />continued to support the 300th Anniversary by donating <br />10% of the proceeds of a full-line of 300th souvenir items, <br />from t- shirts and mugs, to trivets and tote bags. <br />tteeconfinued from previous page <br />The 300th Artist Outreach Liaison helped coordinate artist <br />created Cigar Box Purses and special jewelry in a silent auc- <br />tion that raised $5,000. Jill O -Reilly created a line of silver <br />jewelry called Lexington Stone Walls. She donated a piece <br />for the silent auction and a portion of the sales from her line <br />at Crafty Yankee also went to the 300th. <br />Businesses and individuals made cash gifts and gave gifts in <br />kind. Every gift was helpful, and they ranged from 50 cents <br />to $25,000. Stan Abkovitz from Dynamet Technology gave <br />the two time capsules, the Rotary and Lions Clubs gave the <br />300th Clock. <br />Major gifts began with a $10,000 gift from the Beverly <br />and Peter Kelley Family. This gift was assigned as sponsor- <br />ship for Incorporation Day Bell Ringing and the Kelleys <br />were thanked during the event. Chris Smith from Cap- <br />stone Mortgage gave $10,000 and sponsored the Dance <br />Around the World. Leslie and Colin Masson gave $25,000 <br />as a matching gift and sponsored LexCelebrate! Incorpora- <br />tion Weekend. Cambridge Savings Bank gave $5,000 and <br />helped sponsor the Old -Time Baseball event. <br />While the 300th Committee was charged with oversight <br />of these projects, it was truly not possible without every <br />volunteer and staff person giving their energy to the town. <br />Working together, as a community, we honored our past, <br />demonstrated our pride in our community and left a valu- <br />able legacy for the future. <br />Celebrating 300 years —We Are Lexington! <br />Members ofthe 300th Ilnniversary Celebration Committee pose with a 300th Sig- <br />nature Banner: Front (L -R) Geetha Padaki, Melanie Lin and, jessie Steigerwald,• <br />Middle (L -R) Van Seasholes, Tanya Morrisett, Cheryl Meadow and Donna Hooper; <br />Rear (L -R) Eric Carlson, Sue Rockwell, Mary Gillespie, Suzie Barry, Kim Coburn <br />and Carin Casey. <br />