North Reading Seniors Celebrate Annual Thanksgiving Dinner

Dear Editor:

We are writing to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to everyone who helped make this
year’s North Reading Senior Thanksgiving Dinner on Sunday, November 18 such a resounding
success.

We’ve been celebrating this event for more than 40 years in grand style at the Hillview Country Club. We welcomed hundreds of friends and neighbors who enjoyed a traditional turkey dinner prepared by the culinary team of Teresa’s Restaurants. What went on behind the scenes was almost as exciting as what went on in the ballroom. Imagine preparing Thanksgiving dinner for 300 people…. 65 pounds of turkey, 55 pounds of mashed potatoes, 55 pounds of fresh vegetables, 50 pounds of stuffing, 52 pounds of apple crisp, and 42 dozen roses.

Guests enjoyed many special performances during the day, including North Reading’s own
Senior Echoes, who charmed the group with favorite songs and tunes. Following the Senior
Echoes, guests were entertained by Sergeant Daniel Clark, the “Singing Trooper,” and his wife
Mary, who performed favorite patriotic and holiday songs, as well as a fun and festive sing-a-
along. Red Sox Fans were thrilled with their rendition of Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline to help
celebrate a historic Red Sox Season.

It is truly an honor for us to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season with those who have
contributed so much to our community over the years. Many people graciously volunteered their
time to help us plan and organize this year’s event. Thanks to the generous financial support
of our sponsors for the underwriting of the event, the event is free and open to all senior citizens
of the town. We encouraged those attending to bring can goods to the event to help us fill the
shelves at the North Reading Food Pantry. We were overwhelmed by the response we received
for our annual solicitation of non-perishable food donations. Thanks to the generosity of the
North Reading senior citizens who attended the dinner, the food pantry will be able to assist
more local families in need during the holiday season.

We would like to thank The Savings Bank, The Reading Cooperative Bank, Wal-Mart, and North Reading Selectman Bob Mauceri and his wife Angela for their financial support.

Some very special thanks to Nick Yebba, and the team of the Hillview Country Club for working
with us to make this event a truly memorable one. We appreciate their continued support in
providing exceptional food, service and hospitality.

A special thanks to North Reading Director of Elder Affairs Mary Prenney and her staff of
dedicated workers who work tirelessly during the year to support our senior citizens.

We salute our North Reading Fire Department for volunteering to assist many seniors by
transporting them to and from the event, and the North Reading Police Department for directing
traffic and keeping guests safe as they crossed the street. We were thrilled to have Fire Chief
Don Stats and Police Chief Mike Murphy on hand to join us. Without their help, many people
would not have been able to join in the celebration. We truly appreciate their efforts.

Joining us at the at the head table were members of the Select Board: Chairman Michael Prisco;
Bob Mauceri and his wife Angela; Stephen O’Leary; and Andrew Schultz. Also joining us were
Town Manager Michael Gilleberto, our School Superintendent Jon Bernard, representatives of
The Reading Cooperative Bank and The Savings Bank.

Thank you to the North Reading Transcript, Maureen Doherty, the North Reading Patch and the
local churches for helping to publicize this annual holiday tradition.

We want to take this opportunity to extend our best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season
to all North Reading residents, and we look forward to seeing everyone again at next year’s
dinner. Please SAVE THE DATE: Sunday, November 24 at 1:30 pm.

We are honored to continue this tradition and we hope this event continues for another 40 years.
We contribute to many local events during the year but this event, rich in tradition, is a favorite
of ours.

Sincerely, Representative Brad Jones and Linda Jones, Senator Bruce Tarr