The Mattapoisett Lions Club’s annual extravaganza, Harbor Days, was another grand success in a long line of successes for the service organization. Since 2010, the club reported in the visitor guide to the event that scholarships ranging from $1,250 to $5,000 have been awarded to local high school seniors. Harbor Days is the cornerstone event for their philanthropy.
Held for three days last weekend at Mattapoisett’s historic Shipyard Park, Harbor Days once again featured food, entertainment and 96 craft booths offering everything from puppets to T-shirts to hot sauce and garden ornaments.
But there were other booths that provided an array of information on services a community needs to truly thrive.
Take for instance the Mattapoisett Fire Department Auxiliary, whose year-round efforts are focused on educating children on fire-safety matters. At community events and visits to the local schools, the auxiliary’s representatives explain in easy-to-understand terms the dangers associated with fire and tips for staying safe. For more information, visit mattapoisett.net.
Another organization offering safety information as its main focus was the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Their booth featured a variety of pamphlets on subjects such as identification of visual distress signals, importance of emergency-engine cutoff switches, marine animals’ identification and reporting, children’s safety with personal watercraft, and how to choose the right life jacket. For more information, visit uscgboating.org.
The William Mee Sailing program occupied a booth from which its volunteers sold T-shirts as a fundraiser for its community-based program. Program president Mark Thornhill said that annually the program serves approximately 140 children ages 6 to 15. The sailing program is named in honor of local sailor and sailing instructor William Mee and has been providing services since 2007. More information is available at Mattsail.org.
Mattapoisett Land Trust once again held down three booth spaces, just about enough for the organization’s fundraising efforts and chat-ups with prospective members and doners. The MLT sold tickets to the upcoming fundraiser, The Great Community Picnic, to be held on Thursday, August 4, at Munro Park on the harbor. Tables are still available; visit mattlandtrust.org.
Friends of the Mattapoisett Council on Aging were on hand. This organization holds fundraisers that assist in very special ways the aging population in Mattapoisett. They sponsor special social functions such as holiday luncheons and have received permission to hold line-dancing events this summer at Shipyard Park. For more information, visit Mattapoisett.net.
Mattapoisett Woman’s Club held their deliciously delightful bake sale. Opening the booth at 9:00 am, by 11:00 am they were nearly sold out. Word has it that the strawberry-rhubarb pies were the crowd favorite. The club fundraisers are used to provide educational scholarships. Visit mattapoisettwomansclub.org.
The Friends of the Mattapoisett Bike Path were nearby at their booth, talking about the great strides they have been able to make in securing grant funding and pointing out the work that remains. Recently, a portion of Phase 1b opened, extending the trail from Mattapoisett Neck Road to Reservation Road with sweeping vistas across marshlands and waterways. For more information, visit mattapoisettrailtrail.com.
And last but certainly not least, quenching thirsty visitors was the ever popular and highly anticipated Lemon Squeezers. This booth features the amazing lemonade recipe handed down from Ronnie King and Sis Renzi to daughter Catherine Renzi and granddaughter Megan Goulart.
Armed with the famous, long-handled, wooden spoon (also handed down through many years of stirring up the refreshing concoction), Renzi said monies raised from their booth sales are donated to charity and to Bishop Stang High School in appreciation for use of kegs from which the liquid gold flows.
Lions Club President Kimberly Ray reported that the fish fry was a grand success with over 300 plates being sold and that the strawberry shortcake sales broke all records. Planning has already begun for next year!
By Marilou Newell