Family Fund heads to the beach
By Kris Olson/ kolson@cnc.com
Thursday, June 23, 2005

For years, they have been known as the "playground people." Now, the Marblehead Family Fund wants to expand it scope.

The group hopes to take its first giant step in that direction this Sunday with a concert at Devereux Beach featuring local band TK Rok (see related story, Page 5) and the drawing of the winner of $2,500 in the group's 50/50 raffle. The event proceeds will benefit the group's "Dollars for Devereux" campaign, which supports the Recreation Department's ambitious project to renovate the facilities at Devereux Beach.

If the group's past track record is any indication, the beach project will soon be awash in cash. In just seven years, the Family Fund has raised more than $100,000, which has created six new neighborhood playgrounds and funded many other events as well, including a family concert series, the 2-year-old Big Pumpkin Fair at the Farmers Market, an author-illustrator series at Abbot Public Library, the Walk for a Beautiful Town and the annual Grandparents Tea.

Armed with a new slogan - "It takes a town" - the group hopes its future projects can touch families of children of all ages, from toddlers to teens.

In addition to other Dollars for Devereux events, the group plans this fall to launch TeamUp, a speaker series that "partners parents, schools and youth." Organizer Susan Hauck notes that the speaker series grew out of a desire to create some sort of parenting workshop. As has proven successful for the Family Fund in the past, the group will partner with another group of dedicated volunteers - in this case, the volunteers of the schools' PTOs - to bring the event to fruition.

In the works for this winter, hopefully to be held in conjunction with the Christmas Walk, is a "Festival of Wreaths," in which notable people from the local community will be asked to design wreaths, which will then be auctioned off.

Further down the road, slated to debut in spring 2006, is a Kid Expo modeled on the Home and Garden Show held each year at the Community Center. The idea will be to provide "one-stop shopping" for children's activities in town, from youth soccer to art lessons at the Acorn Gallery.

Further down the road, slated to debut in spring 2006, is a Kid Expo modeled on the Home and Garden Show held each year at the Community Center. The idea will be to provide "one-stop shopping" for children's activities in town, from youth soccer to art lessons at the Acorn Gallery.

Also being mulled is an afternoon indoor park program.

At all events, says co-president Amy Cunningham, the costs will continue to be affordable for families.

"These are not big, elaborate events," Cunningham said. "These are very homemade types of affairs."

The group says it is always looking for additional ideas and energy. To learn more, visit www.marbleheadfamilyfund.com.