I hope folks were able to enjoy Father’s Day this weekend. I went out and spent some time with Pop. Last week was so crazy busy that I hadn’t seen him for several days. I did, however, get several reports of him on his bike, so I knew he was safe and sound all week. Riley and Amelia and their little brother Griffin went to breakfast with their dad. It’s a pretty low-key “Hallmark holiday,” but nice to give credit to all those great dads, granddads, stepdads, would-be dads, and people who seemed like Dad. As with anything, we shouldn’t wait till a certain day to tell them how much we appreciate them.
Happy birthday wishes go out this week to Owen Hess, who turned 20 on June 15, Gail Poggi on June 16, Halley Smith on June 17, Sara Poggi on June 19, and my amazing niece, Gwen Gardner, who turns an unbelievable 25 years old on June 20.
Congratulations to my other wonderful niece, Evie Gardner Fleisher, on her high school graduation on June 20. Riley and Evie are only two months apart in age, but the fact that Evie is a late September birthday pushed her to the next grade. She has completed her studies, and is now working at a hospital in Beverly before moving on to some possible college coursework. Congratulations to Evie and her parents, Pam Gardner and Phil Fleisher.
The West Tisbury Church Strawberry Festival is on June 22 from 10 am until 4 pm. Enjoy strawberry shortcake with whipped cream, strawberries and ice cream, and the famous strawberry smoothies. Take home something delicious from the baked goods table, pick up something fabulous from the vintage jewelry table, and relax on the church lawn with lemonade sold by the Sunday school kids and listen to local musicians. All proceeds of this fundraiser help support the church and the Island community.
On Sunday, August 18th, 17 Island residents will run the 2019 Falmouth Road Race on behalf of Martha’s Vineyard Community Services (MVCS) as part of the Falmouth Road Race’s Numbers for Nonprofits Program, which reserves race bib numbers for Massachusetts-based charities to use as a fundraising tool. To date, over $10,000,000 has been raised through the program by participating organizations. This is the second year MVCS is participating in the program. The 2019 team raised $20,000 to support the unfunded care provided by staff at MVCS.
Each runner has his or her own individual fundraising goal, but local businesses have pledged to help out as well. Town MV will host a Dine to Donate on Monday, June 24, from 5 pm until closing with a percentage of sales benefiting the Falmouth Road Race Team. On Saturday, August 10, Lilly Pulitzer in Edgartown will host a shop-and-share, with a percentage of sales that day going toward the team’s fundraising goal. Community members are encouraged to attend and spread the word.
Funds raised through the Numbers for Nonprofit program will directly benefit MVCS’ six core programs: Connect to End Violence, Disability Services, Early Childhood Programs, Island Counseling Center, Island Wide Youth Collaborative, and the Thrift Shop. To donate to the cause or learn more, visit mvcommunityservices.org/get-involved.
I can’t believe another school year has come to an end. John Steven will be ending his tenure soon, and our new principal, Shelley Einbinder-Fleischmann, will soon be at the helm. What will our new leadership bring? That is the big question. I, myself, hope to take the opportunity of a changing of the guard to make some changes in my classroom, both in the physical layout as well as the way I teach. It will mean a lot of planning and prep work this summer, while I’m also working at the restaurant, so it will be interesting to see what I can do before September. But my primary goal right off the bat is to get some quality beach time in. Hopefully the forecast for this week will improve a bit for the end of the week.
The third annual Fluke for Luke Fishing Tournament will take place Saturday, July 6, and Sunday, July 7, 2019. Once again they will have a fantastic cookout, silent auction, and awards ceremony at the Portugese-American Club in Oak Bluffs on that Sunday following the final weigh-in at 4 pm. All are welcome!
The FARM Institute will be holding its Summer Solstice BBQ Kickoff on June 21 from 5 pm until 7 pm. Celebrate the start of summer at the Farm. Enjoy a meal featuring TFI meat and produce, music to get your feet moving, and of course a stunning backdrop to watch the sunset!
The fee for members is $24 and nonmembers is $30. You can register online via this link, bit.ly/FARMSolstice.
I think that’s about it. July Fourth is on the horizon, when things will really get busy around here. I’m going to have to find a mantra to repeat to keep smiling through the bedlam. Have a great week.