North Reading Senior Thanksgiving Drive-by Event A Success

Dear Editor:

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped make this year’s North Reading Senior Citizen Thanksgiving Drive-by Event on Sunday, November 21 such a resounding success.

Due to the continuing health concerns and restrictions associated with COVID-19, we were unable to host North Reading’s seniors at our customary sit-down dinner, which has been a local holiday tradition for more than 40 years. Instead, for the second year in a row, we held a masked, drive-by event in the parking lot of the Hillview Country Club to help ensure the safety of everyone who attended.

Thank you to Select Board members Stephen O’Leary, Kate Manupelli, and Liane Gonzalez and Town Administrator Michael Gilleberto, as well as Director of Elder Services Mary Prenney, Brad Prenney, Sherri Greer and Susan Tilton, and Mary Ann Nay, Senator Tarr’s Deputy Director of Special Projects and Intergovernmental Relations, for their help in distributing the festive holiday bags we prepared for our local seniors. The festive bag included a family size apple pie; chicken tortellini soup; scali bread; cookies; one pound of Dunkin’ coffee; a pineapple; apple cider donuts; apple cider; pecan rolls; a Norman Rockwell calendar; a pie slicer; napkins and dessert dishes; disposable face masks; and other surprises.

The bag was a team effort and we were fortunate to work with so many caring and generous sponsors and donors. Our sincere thanks to Reading Cooperative Bank; The Savings Bank; CVS; Amazon; Dunkin’ North Reading - The Scrivanos Family; The Farmland Market; Harrows Chicken Pies; Russell Orchards – Ipswich; Calareso’s Farmstand; and the Century House for their generous donations and support. A special thank you to Mary Prenney, Director of Elder Services, the Edith O’Leary Senior Center staff and the North Reading Council on Aging for helping to coordinate this year’s drive-by event. We also want to thank the Hillview Commission, including George Stack and Karen Moberg, North Reading Police Chief Michael Murphy, the North Reading DPW and the North Reading Police Department for directing traffic throughout the event.

As in years past, we encouraged those attending to bring canned goods and other food items to help restock the shelves of the North Reading Food Pantry. Once again, we were overwhelmed by the tremendous response we received from the community, whose generous donations will allow the food pantry to continue to help local families through these difficult times.

It is truly an honor for us to once again celebrate the beginning of the holiday season with those who have contributed so much to our community. We want to extend our best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season to all North Reading residents, and we hope to be able to return to our traditional seated dinner in 2022.

Sincerely,

Representative Brad Jones & Linda Jones

Senator Bruce Tarr