Community Corner

Big Fundraising Dollars Needed for Guilford's 375th Birthday Committee Plans

At last week's public informational meeting, the 375th Birthday Committee shared some of their ideas about how Guilford will celebrate it's big year in 2014. The best part? They want everyone to get involved to work on fundraising!

 

2014 is a big year for Guilford: It's the town's 375th Birthday! The celebration committee has been busy planning a year full of events to honor the historical tradition of Guilford, as well as welcome a new chapter in the town's future. So far, the committee has five main events set to take place throughout the 2014 year. Their goal as they were planning has been to 'Honor our past but look to our future.'

According to their current calculations, Chairperson Veronica Wallace shared that the committee estimated it would take anywhere between $150,000-$200,000 to put together the 18 months worth of events the committee has planned. "This money is not built into the town's budget," Wallace emphasized. "But it will be the result purely of fundraising."

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In anticipation of the large fundraising dollars needed to make plans a reality, the committee has been hard at work coming up with fundraising ideas. Committee members will start fundraising in March of this year, beginning with a series of dances to be held at the Knights of Columbus, a prom fashion show event in May, and several other projects continuing throughout the year. 

All of this fundraising will help make the following five celebratory events, a reality:

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New Years Eve Happenings:

  • A noise parade around the Guilford Green during the day
  • A town wide photo shoot
  • A 'Green Extrazaganza' that consists of churches, the community center, and other venues around the Green participating in a day with magicians, face painting, dance, 5 concurrent concerts, food vendors an food trucks
  • A fire down at Jacobs Beach to 'burn all the bad memories' as one committee member put it
  • Fireworks on New Year's Eve shot off from the fairgrounds, but high enough to be seen from the Guilford Green

Crystal Ball:

  • Evening of Dinner and Dancing at the Guilford Yacht Club (venue secure)
  • Set to take place in March of 2014
  • Silent Auction

Covenant/Trail Weekend:

  • Parade
  • Covenant Signing Reenactment
  • Exhibits, displays and demonstrations on the history of Guilford
  • Guided group tours and self-guided tours through 'downtown' Guilford
  • Visits to 5 historic museum homes
  • Dedication and ribbon cutting of the National New England Hiking Trail
  • Set to coincide with National Trails Weekend, June 6, 7, and 8, 2014

Guilford - A Period in History:

  • Day of fun on the Green highlighting Guilford's Civil War History
  • A concert from the era along with a multimedia display of Guilford's history
  • Set to be held May 24, 2014

New Years Eve Happening, Crystal Ball, Covenant/ Trail Day, Guilford- A Period in History and a Fife and drum muster

Fife and Drum Corps Muster:

  • Set to take place in October of 2014
  • Hosted by the Guilford based Ancient Mariners
  • Reenactors

One big take away of the meeting is that the committee wants everyone to get involved in fundraising for these events. "All of these events, how great they are and what they will actually consist of is contingent on whether we can fundraise enough financial backing," one committee member said at the conclusion of the meeting. "We started planning just nine months ago and this is a tremendous event, so anyone who can lend a hand, suggest fundraising events, sponsor events, collaborate with us, whatever it may be, we urge you, implore you even, to get involved."


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