Good morning and welcome to Bobby’s World. I’ve been thinking this past week about ways that we, as a community, can jazz up the holiday season. What if community members and organizations here in Franklin County picked a weekend date between Friday, Dec. 6 and Sunday, Dec. 22 and organized a family-themed holiday activity that would bring good cheer into our neighbors’ lives?
Since we are in August, there would be enough time to plan an event and promote it if the planning started now. Of course, I would promote the event here in Bobby’s World. It could be about just about anything to do with the holiday season. We have hundreds of organizations here in Franklin County and this is could be a wonderful way to get your organization some notoriety.
Our local community always steps up to contribute.
I speak from experience — each year, I help to put on a few special events myself. Every Thanksgiving, for example, I host a fundraiser for needy families. Last year, we fed over 900 people. Sixty families received ingredients for a full Thanksgiving dinner, which they were able to make for their families. We also hosted two Thanksgiving meals last year. The first was served at the local Salvation Army on the Sunday afternoon before Thanksgiving and the second was at the Living Waters Assembly of God church in Greenfield on Thanksgiving day.
Speaking of Thanksgiving, we’re beginning to organize this year’s meals program. Here’s how it works: Community members sponsor a family for $60 each, providing a 20-pound turkey, stuffing mix, potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, cranberry sauce, rolls and apple pie. (This is a wonderful deal because of great supportive people and organizations like Foster’s Supermarket in Greenfield and local farms, which give us a great deal on vegetables.)
If you would like to sponsor a family, we start lining everything up in September. We can get our orders in early so we are guaranteed the food at the discounted price.
You can sponsor as many families as you would like (again, at $60 per family). Our community’s generosity gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy a delicious Thanksgiving dinner.
Additionally, if you know of anyone who is in need and who could benefit from this program, please let me know so we can get them a Thanksgiving dinner. We will do our best to accommodate everyone the best we can — we can only give of what we get in donations from the community.
You can email me at bobbyleslie25@gmail.com if you’re interested in sponsoring a family. Also, you can send me information if you know a needy family who could benefit from this.
A few years ago, I started another fundraiser called Hams for Seniors, working through the local TRIAD, which helps seniors every day. Starting later in the year, I collect donations and we buy 200 hams and distribute them to the seniors just in time for Christmas so they can share it with family and friends. It makes them feel special and gives them that opportunity to share with their families.
If it wasn’t for others in the community who also step up, these charitable events would never happen. All of that being said, if you or your organization would like to do something fun for our community during the holiday season and you want to get the word out, make sure to email me your information. Let’s make this upcoming holiday season one that everyone in Franklin County remembers.
Thanks for reading Bobby’s World and have a wonderful weekend.
As a local personality for radio stations WHAI 98.3, Bear Country 95.3, WHMP 99.3 and Bobby C’s DJ Service for the past 36 years, Bobby C. Campbell has been connected to the community for a very long time. If you have an event that needs promotion or an idea for a future column, e-mail him at bobbyleslie25@gmail.com.