Pick Blueberries For The Annual Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund

WAYLAND, MA—When the weather is on his side, for the past 13 years, Malcoln Astley has sold what he calls his Lightning Bug Blues blueberries at the Wayland Summer Farmer's Market.

Not only are these blueberries local, fresh and yummy; they fulfill a special cause.

Malcolm's daughter Lauren picked and sold the berries with him at the market in the early years, and the sale helped Lauren buy her first car.

Lauren was killed by a former boyfriend on July 3, 2011. At 18, Lauren had just graduated from Wayland High School and planned to attend Elon University in North Carolina. The Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund is a nonprofit founded to honor her memory.

"Lauren was passionate about her friends and family, the arts and community service," reads the mission statement on the fund's site. She died at the hands of her former boyfriend, a victim of the disturbing phenomenon of breakup violence. Our mission is to promote dynamic educational programs, particularly those in the areas of the development of healthy teen relationships, the arts and community service."

Malcolm has continued to bring his blueberries to the market and all proceeds from the sales go to the Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund. Last week Malcolm sold all 28 pints of blueberries in twenty minutes! For the next two Markets (July 25 and August 1), we are hoping to have more blueberries available.

Youth and others interested in community service activity are welcome to pick blueberries to be sold at Russell's Farmers Market for the benefit of the LaurenDunneAstleyMemorialFund.org.

Picking hours in Wayland will be weather contingent from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Sunday, July 22, Monday, July 23 and Tuesday, July 24.

For directions and scheduling contact malcolmastley@icloud.com.

The Wayland Summer Farmers Market takes place on Wednesdays through Oct. 10 from noon to 5 p.m. at Russell's Garden Center.

Photos submitted