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WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, MAKE LEMONADE– WCC’s Picnic in the Park celebration not a complete wash out!
WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, MAKE LEMONADE– WCC’s Picnic in the Park celebration not a complete wash out!
Do you remember the old saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”? The Whitin Community Center took that to heart when its 19th annual benefit Picnic in the Park celebration was rained out on Saturday, June 9th.
We have all been there. You plan an outdoor event and then agonize over the daily weather reports on television or scour the Internet websites for any news about rain for weeks prior. At the first mention of possible rain, it is only a 10% chance so unlikely. Then it grows to 60% but in the end, the weathermen say “passing showers” so you hope that they won’t come between 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, event time. They can “pass through” early in the morning or later in the evening. Even the morning of the event, you look out and see clouds and fog and convince yourself that the weathermen were wrong again and the event can go on! Mother Nature is on our side! Sunday was predicted to be rainy as well so we pushed forward with Saturday and abandoned the idea of using the rain date.
Unfortunately for the Whitin Community Center, Mother Nature was not on our side as we stood beneath tents and the new pavilion in Whitin Park as downpours and a thunder and lightning storm wreaked havoc on the vendors, volunteers, and few patrons who braved leaving their warm, cozy homes on Saturday, June 9th. We finally gave up and cancelled the event at 12:00 noon on Saturday and sent everyone home. And we all know what happened on Sunday – one of the best days of Spring! Another saying – hindsight is 20/20…
Since this was a fundraising event for the Whitin Community Center, we could have cried and felt sorry for ourselves - but we had enough water! We thought back to the old saying about lemonade and decided to make the best out of this bad situation by reimbursing our vendor fees and distributing the items that were donated to us to other needy groups and organizations. The Whitin Community Center implemented the “pay it forward” principle. Pay it forward or paying it forward refers to repaying the good deeds one has received by doing good things for other unrelated people.
Many times with outdoor events, vendors pay the fees to attend knowing that they are taking a risk because the fees will not be returned in case of rain. Charlie Thompson, Executive Director of the Whitin Community Center, stated, “This event is a fundraiser for the Whitin Community Center but it is also a community event. We have vendors that include churches, non-profit groups, and local businesses. These vendors did not have the opportunity to sell their products or share their information with patrons. Even though we had no control over the weather, the Whitin Community Center wanted to make sure that these groups and organizations could use this money for something else in the community.” Some of the vendors even returned the fee back to us as a donation to the Whitin Community Center – again, paying it forward!
Local businesses generously donated hundreds of hamburger, hot dog, and sub rolls for Picnic in the Park. We did not want to see them wasted. So, we called local food pantries and senior centers in the area and asked if they could help us distribute them to people in need in our Blackstone Valley community. Rolls were donated to the Douglas Senior Center, Sutton Senior Center and Food Pantry, the Peace of Bread, and the Northbridge Senior Center and Food Pantry. In addition, rolls were given to a member who was having a fishing derby that next weekend for local disabled citizens. Each of these great organizations will pay it forward and do good things for other people as well.
The Whitin Community Center was also disappointed that the children in our community had missed out on the first Silly Olympics. We even had medals made especially for these events. On the last day of school, the Whitin Community Center’s Rockdale Youth Center had an end of school year celebration. They also used some of the leftover rolls, meat, and baked goods from Picnic in the Park. In addition, they held the Silly Olympics. Approximately 30 children participated and the following were declared the winners: in “Pop'em Fast” (fastest to pop 3 balloons without using hands or feet), Gold: Peter Lavallee, Silver: Rachael Zaidel, and Bronze: Olivia Ellis; in “Move the Balloons” (fastest to move 4 balloons 40 feet without touching them), Gold: Darien Masterson, Silver: Nick Tredeau, and Bronze: Travis Bernard; in “Leap, Spin and Dunk” (leap like a frog, spin around and bob for an orange slice), Gold: Rachael Zaidel, Silver: Joe Boulette, and Bronze: Jessica Booth.
The Whitin Community Center wishes to thank all the volunteers, vendors, and supporters who helped with the Picnic in the Park event. We could not do it without you or the generous sponsors of the Picnic in the Park including our major event sponsors, VanderZicht Real Estate and Wal-Mart and other sponsors including Ace Glass Company, Alice Benson, Auburn Merchandise Distributors, Central Carpet Warehouse, Chiropractic Health Center, D. J. Salmon Landscaping, Dr. Carrie Webb, M.D., Dr. Martin Keane, Dr. Sang Chung, Foam Concepts, Gary Moyer Architect, Hannaford's Supermarket, Harry’s Pizza, Jim & Betty Knott, Knights of Columbus, Mumford Council, Lynch's Package Store, Michael W. Cnossen, D.M.D., Milford Federal Savings & Loan, Omni Control Technology, Salmon Family of Services, Shaw’s Supermarket, Sutton Animal Hospital, UniBank, Webster First Credit Union, and Xtra Mart.
The Whitin Community Center is a private, non-profit, community-based organization serving the Blackstone Valley since 1922. The Whitin Community Center is committed to enhancing the health and well-being of individuals and families and building a strong community in the Blackstone Valley. We offer social, recreational, educational, and outreach programs that bring community members of all ages and backgrounds together. The Whitin Community Center is the Blackstone Valley’s most complete family and recreation center with two swimming pools, a gym, a fitness center, child care and after school programs, summer camps and a seven-acre park. For more information call 508.234.8184 or visit www.OurGym.org.
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