In today’s daily 5 Things You Need to Know feature, ThisWeekinWorcester.com explores five important items and stories that Worcester and Central Massachusetts residents should keep a close eye on.
These five things can cover a whole range of subjects and issues that we feel are pertinent to understanding what’s going on in the city and the cities and towns surrounding Worcester.
In today’s edition – Thursday, June 25 – farmers markets are opening up Saturday in Worcester, a local nonprofit executive receives an award, the WooSox are revealing design updates at Polar Park, the Railers win the league’s community award and Bay State Savings Bank is hosting a month-long fundraiser.
REC Farmers Markets Open Across Worcester
The Regional Environmental Council Community Farmers Markets and Mobile Farmers Markets open on Saturday, June 26, at various locations across Worcester.
The full list of locations and operating hours can be found here.
At all REC markets, purchases can be made with cash, credit, debit, SNAP, the Healthy Incentives Program (HIP), Senior Farmers Market Coupons and WIC Farmers Market Coupons.
Worcester Nonprofit Executive Wins Young Professional Award
Joy Murrieta, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Main IDEA Youth & Arts, is the 2020 Massachusetts Nonprofit Network [MNN] Excellence by a Young Professional award winner.
Main IDEA, located at 9 Irving St. in Worcester, empowers youth by providing quality accessible arts programs to under-resourced communities. Their programming includes after school and summer youth arts programs in the Main South area.
MNN is a network of non-profit organizations with over 700 nonprofit members and 100 for-profit affiliate partners.
Award winners were chosen from over 130 nominations and 27 finalists. Other winners included:
- Excellence in Advocacy – Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education
- Excellence in Innovation – Dudley Square Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI)
- Excellence in Leadership – Mary Beth McMahon, President and CEO, Special Olympics Massachusetts
- Excellence in Partnership – Tech Goes Home
- Excellence by a Small Nonprofit – The North Shore Alliance of LGBTQ Youth
Matching Fundraiser for Service Dogs
Bay State Savings Bank is celebrating the 1st birthday of its mascot, Benjie, with a month long fundraiser for NEADS.
NEADS trains highly-skilled Service Dogs to help people who are deaf or have a physical disability.
Donations are tax-deductible, and all funds raised will be used towards training and placing a dog with an individual in Massachusetts.
Bay State Savings Bank will match every donation, dollar for dollar, up to $3,000.
Donations can be made by visiting support.neads.org/baystatesavingsbank.
Get a Ballpark Update from the Designer of Polar Park
The Worcester Red Sox are hosting an online meeting for Booster Club members on Monday, June 29, at 7 PM with Polar Park designer Janet Marie Smith and Chairman Larry Lucchino.
Smith and Lucchino also partnered to build Oriole Park at Camden Yards and updates to Fenway Park. Smith designed Turner Field in Atlanta and is overseeing renovations at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
The meeting is restricted to 1,000 attendees so early registration is recommended.
Railers Win Community Service Award
Worcester Railers have been awarded the 2019-20 ECHL Community Service Award for the second consecutive year.
The award was announced at the virtual ECHL League Meeting on June 24.
Railers Defenseman Connor Doherty received the 2019-20 ECHL Community Service Player Award in March.
Worcester Railers HC Foundation donated over $250,000 cash last season and partnered with over 475 local community organizations throughout Central Massachusetts.
