Community
Charity Golf
The team of David Murphy, John Dutton, John Farrington, Jane Shigley and Paul Breen emerged from a crowded field of 24 teams this past weekend to win the Holy Ghost Scholarship Golf Tournament at Mink Meadows in Vineyard Haven. Runners-up were the team of Steve Furtaw, Keith Fullin, Jason Balboni, J.T. Marhar and Eric Perry.
The Vineyard Conservation Society’s Earth Day Beach Clean-Up saw volunteers taking to beaches around the Island last Saturday, April 18. Among the many organizations to dedicate their afternoon to the effort was the Martha’s Vineyard Surfcasters Association. The association put their work in on the familiar strand of South Beach, hauling refuse of all shapes, sizes and material out of the sands and away to a proper disposal.
Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer is a sweet and delicious way to raise “dough” to battle breast cancer. More than 100 restaurants and bakeries, including Mediterranean Restaurant and Sweet Life Cafe in Oak Bluffs, will bake unique desserts the week leading up to Mother’s Day, May 4 to 10. One hundred percent of sales from the special dessert benefit breast cancer research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Savings Bank Grants
This month the Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank Charitable Fund joined the Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank to award $13,000 in grants to eight local nonprofit organizations and community groups. The grants will help fund programs in the arts, education, health care, veterans affairs and youth.
In celebration of national poetry month, there will be a reading of 17th century metaphysical poet John Donne at the Old Whaling Church at 4 p.m. on April 19. The program will also include the music of William Byrd and other composers from the English Renaissance. Donne’s work will be read by John Ortman and Elizabeth Villard, who will be joined by Matt Pelikan on recorder and violin, and Jan Hyer on cello.
Our Island Club, the consumer savings program that also raises monies for Island charities, has distributed its 2008 donations.
In the program’s three years, more than $85,000 had been distributed to over 140 organizations. The club includes more than 3,000 members who can save at more than 125 Island businesses.
Our Island Club is providing scholarships to Featherstone Center for the Arts, Permanent Endowment Fund of Martha’s Vineyard, the Farm Institute, Vineyard Nursing Association and Community Services/Early Childhood Development.