A Thank You for Another Great Halloween

The following letter was submitted to Patch.

Dear Neighbors and Friends,

We appreciate the community’s participation and support of Twenty-Sixth Annual Charlestown Children’s Halloween Parade on Monday night, October 31, 2011. With the help of The Charlestown Mothers Association and numerous other volunteers, we created a safe and exciting Halloween. With lighting to illuminate the The Monument and Training Field areas, where balloons danced over head, the thousands of trick-or-treaters gathered to take pictures, and paraded with the Tony Barry Marching Band.  Lifelong memories of trick-or-treating for Charlestown’s children, families, and friends were made. 

We are grateful to the residents who passed out candy at Monument Square, The Training Field and the surrounding streets. We delighted in the costumes.

Special thanks goes to:

Leigh Hurd, Tracey Lavin, Amy Bell, Suzanne Crowther, and Melissa McGaughey for their CMA leadership, for rallying volunteers and for providing glow sticks; Ed Katz and Patrick Sullivan who mastermind the lighting; The Wizard Bruce Garr who graced us with his traditional poem; Andrea

Garr who provided the Training Field Tent, Amy Kennedy Slesar and friends who decorated it, and where Bette Task who passed out treats; Ethan Beeler and Bill Foley, of The National Park Service; The Seaport Academy and The Girls Scouts for the Jack O’Lantern Septors; Balloonatics for their expertise in balloon whimsy; Bill Galvin for roadblock logistics; George Morton and The Charlestown Historic Society for manning The Bunker Hill Museum;  Ed Kelly, our Treasurer; Dave Fortunado, Christine Esklison and Leslie Hauser for The Training Field lights; Bob Spencer for the ghosts; Jim Mansfield of the City of Boston Department of Transportation, who coordinated our permits; plus dozens of volunteers who set up and broke down the decorations.

The Monument Square Neighborhood Association collaborated with The National Park Service, and The Friends of The Training Field. We are supported by Representative Eugene O’Flaherty, City Councilman Sal La Mattina, State Senator Sal DiDomenico, Charlestown Against Drugs, MGH HealthCare Clinic, The Girls Scouts, The Charlestown Mothers Association, Boston Police and Fire Departments,  The Cooperative Bank and other generous donors to create this great Charlestown tradition for young and old, from all social and economic groups. The cooperation and generosity of the community have been overwhelming.   

Your support allows us to continue this wonderful community event.

Sincerely,

Diane Valle, Chair