I love to see people working together to make something great happen. An example is the classic family gathering where cousin Sue sends out the invitations, Grandma’s backyard is the location, Joe grills the chicken, and Sally makes the pies.
The kindergarten play brings in the teacher, the volunteer costume designers, the artist backdrop, the cookie bakers for the after show party. Working together to make something special builds a sense of community. Through this common goal, this sharing of interest, time and passion we experience a sense of belonging.
And the place where we belong we call home.
The River Center’s annual Spelling Bee is the result of many people working together to make something great happen. Each year this wonderful fundraiser is pulled together through the efforts of volunteers, Board members and staff. Started 11 years ago by a group of enthusiastic supporters of the Family Center of Greater Peterborough and spearheaded by Cathie and Taylor Sage, this bee is a major fundraiser. We are so grateful for the many, many volunteers who have made the annual Community Spelling Bee the successful fundraiser that it continues to be today.
I think about Peter Robinson letting us use his truck so we can move the Monadnock Chorus risers to the Players for the stage set up. Truck and risers are borrowed. Volunteer muscle is freely given. All Saints’ volunteers bake goodies, don their matching aprons, and serve wonderful appetizers and desserts for the enjoyment of all who attend the bee.
Volunteers solicit teams who dress up in creative costumes and spell really hard words for fun – for as we know, without spellers, there is no spelling bee!
Businesses sponsor the event financially and with donated goods. Friends of The River Center tell their friends about the event and invite them to come. Volunteers sell raffle tickets. Folks buy them because they want to win the Bond Wellness membership, cord of wood, or $400 Apple gift certificate. Other community members send checks to support The River Center.
There are so many ways people come together to make this wonderful Spelling Bee happen. They give their time, muscle, expertise, passion, finances, enthusiasm, sense of fun and spelling prowess.
Ultimately they come together because they are united in caring for this community – for every member of this community. They care about all the parents in this community and they want to see The River Center continue to bring parenting support to all parents. They care about at-risk pregnant mothers and their children. They care about the unemployed and underemployed and want to see them access job search support here in our community. They care about those who need help with their tax returns or organizing finances. They care that there be a place to come when you don’t know where else to go.
So you see, this Spelling Bee is really all about building a strong community. We all want the Eastern Monadnock Region to be a place where everyone – from the youngest to the oldest, single or married, working or not, rich or poor, anyone, anywhere- will be able to be strong and thrive. We come together to create a strong community and as we help do that, we find we belong and we find that indeed, this community is our home.
This past week was National Volunteer Recognition Week. Our tax volunteers completed over 700 tax returns. Many volunteers are helping to make the Spelling Bee a success. Throughout the year volunteers answer the phone, greet people, stuff envelopes, rake the yard, split fire wood and deliver it to neighbors. Volunteers tell their friends and neighbors about the River Center and our services. Volunteers are at the core of people working together to make something great happen.
Thank you to all of you who volunteer to make this community strong and vibrant for everyone. To be the place where we belong, the place we call home.
Join us April 29 at 7 p.m. at the Peterborough Players for our Community Spelling Bee. For more information on the bee or on any of our programs, call 924-6800 or visit www.rivercenter.us.
Margaret Nelson is executive director of The River Center.