September 20th, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Letter to the Editor Thanking all Chairs for Children Participants

To the editor:

We at Pathways for Children would like to thank everyone who contributed to the success of our Chairs for Children event. Over the last year and a half, countless local businesses, community groups, individuals, and local artists stepped up to show their support for Pathways and the children of Cape Ann by donating their invaluable time, money, and encouragement.

The Chairs for Children Gala Auction on Saturday, September 16th, was an overwhelming success, surpassing both our expectations and the success of 2004's Lobster Landings. The entire project resulted in more that $170,000 to directly support Pathway's programs, and will help fill the gaps caused by cutbacks in state and local funding.

The following is a list of all those involved in the project, to whom we would like to extend our deepest gratitude. Every effort has been made to include everyone involved, but please accept our apologies if we have inadvertently left someone off the list.

Our sponsors: corporate sponsors, TD Banknorth and Varian Semiconductor Equipment; media Sponsor, The Gloucester Daily Times; chair sponsors, Beauport Financial Services, LLC.; Dorothy A. Brown; Brox Industries, Inc.; Carroll K. Steele Insurance Inc.; Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Cares; Chris and Lisa Collins; Herb and Sheila Collins; Deborah Coull Salon; Alec Dingee and Susan Gray; The Dress Code; Duckworth's Bistrot; Enos Marine/Rule Marine Services, Inc.; Friends at Post 32-AMVETS; Frontiero Law Office, P.C.; Gloucester Cooperative Bank; The Goldhirsh Foundation; Gorton's Seafoods; Chris and Kathy Hamilos; Thomas and Caroline Hovey; Lobsta Land; Manchester Athletic Club; McDougall Fine Arts; Miles River Sand & Gravel; Greg and Stevie Neal; John S. Rando Jr.; Rockport Mortgage; Roy Spittle Associates, Inc.; The Rudder Restaurant; Bart Schick and Dobbs Boston; Schlichte, Johnstone & Henry; Schooner Adventure; Sea Lion Motel; Kathy Slifer & Jan Bell; Bob and Carolyn Stewart; and the Tower Foundation.

Our artists: George Anderson; Artspace; Andrew Bablo; Oliver Balf; Joan K. Bediz; John Caggiano; Jan Charles ; Kathy Connolly; Charles Crowley and Claire Sanford; Astrida Cutter; Chuck Detra; Loren Doucette; Val Doyon; Paul Gaucher; Rose Marie Glen; Gloucester High School Honors and Advance Placement Studio Art Class and Carpentry Department; Christopher Gurshin; Pamela Ellis Hawkes; Marcia Hermann; Hughes - Bosca; Shayla Kaufman; Ken Knowles; Lawrence Martin-Bitman; Elizabeth McLindon; Shaun McNiff ; Judy Metcalfe; Ruth Mordecai; Don and Christine Mosher; Carleen Muniz; Steve Negron; Tom Nicholas; Peter Niemitz; Sigrid Olsen; Sue Ann Pearson; Pathways Parents, Annemarie Beauparlant, Nikki Lewis, Tricia Reed, Barbara Robertson; P. Domingos Reis; Sally Seamans; Kathleen A. Speranza; Gene Stewart; Loretta Stride; Marilyn Swift; Paul Swigart; Senator Bruce Tarr; Bruce Backman Turner; Alyssa Watters; Jeff Weaver; and Pathways' School Age Program for painting and decorating miniature Adirondack chairs for our sponsors.

Our committee: Event chair, Stevie Neal; production committee, John Byrnes, Bonnie Angus; artists' liaison committee, Jenifer McDougall, chair, Surrey Elwell, Sharon Lake, Jeff Weaver; corporate sponsorship committee, John Byrnes, co-chair, Stevie LeDuc, co-chair; sponsorship committee, Mary Kay Dyer, co-chair, Barbara Wilson co-chair, Sheila Collins, Deb Coull, Kathy Cuddyer, Nancy Goodick, Kathy Slifer, Eileen Smith; sponsor liaison committee, Mary Kay Dyer, co-chair, Nancy Goodick, co-chair, Martha Brox, Mary Francis, Susmita Lavery, Mary Page, Kathy Slifer, Eileen Smith; public relations committee, Bonnie Angus, Susan Gray, Jenifer McDougall; kick-off party committee, Jenifer McDougall, chair, Martha Anger, Susan Boles, Sheila Collins, Deb Coull, Kathy Hamilos, Candace Unis; horribles parade committee, Catherine Gunn, chair; display committee, Bonnie Angus, Detective Sean Connors, Sal Frontiero, Lieutenant Michael Lane; children's art committee, Loretta Peres, chair, Simon Paddock, Kathy Stewart; gala-auction committee, Judy Gustin, chair, Bonnie Angus, JoAnn Beck, Susan Boles, Martha Brox, Mollie Byrnes, Judy Carter, Sheila Collins, Deb Coull, Mary Kay Dyer, Germaine Fritz, Susan Gray, Christine Hallice, Kathy Hamilos, Jenifer McDougall, Krys Owen, Deb Pearce, Ellen Previte, Mary Warner; steering committee, John Byrnes, Stevie LeDuc, Bonnie Angus, JoAnn Beck, Susan Boles, Mollie Byrnes, Sheila Collins, Deb Coull, Mary Kay Dyer, Susan Gray, Nancy Goodick, Catherine Gunn, Judy Gustin, Kathy Hamilos, Sharon Lake, Jenifer McDougall, Greg Neal, and Barbara Wilson.

Our board: Greg Neal, Chair; Kathy Hamilos, Chair Emeritus; Derek Reed, First Vice Chair & Treasurer; Gary LeDuc, Second Vice Chair; Deborah Coull, Clerk; Bonnie Angus; JoAnn Beck; Martha Brox; John Byrnes; Sheila Collins; Mary Kay Dyer; Anton Glovsky; Susan Gray; Catherine Gunn; Judy Gustin; Sharon Lake; Jenifer McDougall; Loretta Peres; Ralph Pino; and Bob Stewart.

Businesses and community members: For production , display, and logistics, J.B. and Porter Bingle, Bingle Brothers Landscaping; Tony Corrao, Precision Roofing; Christine Hallice; Ashley Jerome; Scott Masi, Chairman of the Board Furniture Company; Greg Neal; and Scott Russell, Russell Architectural Finishing, and Jeffrey Stevens. For public relations, print materials, and photography, Christopher Clark, Cave Dog Studio; Peter Combs, Landry Antiques, Auctioneers and Appraisers; The Gloucester Times; Shawn Henry, Shawn Henry Photography; Sharon Lake, The Signery; Gary and Stevie LeDuc, The UPS Store, Farmington, NH; and McDougall & Duval Advertising. For the kick-off party, Tobin Arsenault, Cape Ann's Marina Resort; Julie Geary, Classic Cooks; Kathy Hamilos; The Liquor Locker; Mathew Pardee; and Donna Roy, Woodman's of Essex. For the horribles parade, Bonnie Angus; Toby Benn, Farm Creek Construction; Joan Collier; Stevie LeDuc; Stevie Neal; Matthew Pardee; Patty and Steve Pardee; Brett Ramsey, Farm Creek Construction; and The Secret Service Band. For the gala auction, Jack Good and Bruce Tarr, auctioneers; Livia Cowan, Mariposa; Kathy Cuddyer, Stone Leaf; The Event Company; Gloucester High School Marine Corp ROTC and Advisor Sargent Major Rod Wilday; Sharon Lake and Paul Butman, The Signery; Dave McAveeney, The Pressroom Inc.; Steve Noble, Jerry Noble Electricians; Chrissi Papas, Ipswich Shellfish Company; Brett and Ellen Ramsey, The Shed; Joseph Weglarz; Wolf Hill Garden Center; Kate Wollensak Design; Debbie DiLiberti; Theresa Folse; Ann Lane; Joann Loucks; Kathy Morris; Patty Pardee; Paula Parsons; and Nicole Strout. For additional event support: Beaton Realty; Catherine Doyle; The Liquor Locker; and The Stock Exchange.