Volunteers Honored

By Meghan Kelly, The Beacon-Villager
Wed Jan 16, 2008, 12:35 PM EST
Maynard/Stow -

Maynard/Stow - A road race, exhaustive volunteer work and a mural don’t have much in common at first glance. But this year at the Middlesex West Chamber of Commerce’s annual awards dinner, the organizers of all three will be commended for their dedication to helping their communities.

The awards are given to “an individual who has made a positive impact on his/her community through continued or continuous involvement; who has demonstrated loyalty, dedication, and commitment to the area; who has dedicated his/her free time, making significant contributions to the welfare of his/her community.”

This year’s winners are the Hughes family — former Acton residents who recently moved to Stow; Mary Brannelly of Maynard; and Bruce Davidson of Boxborough, said chamber Executive Director Sarah Fletcher.

The Hughes family organized and ran the annual Sarah Lynn Hughes Memorial 5K run/walk from 1998 until this year, co-sponsored with the Middlesex West Chamber of Commerce. The road race was held in memory of their daughter, Sarah, a sophomore at Acton-Boxborough high school who died unexpectedly in January 1998.

The race has raised more than $100,000 and has awarded $82,000 in scholarships to graduating Acton-Boxborough high school students, said Fletcher.

Maynard resident Mary Brannelly is being commended for her volunteer work. She volunteers at, among other places, the Assabet Valley Boys and Girls Club and the Maynard Education Foundation. She is also vice chairman of the Maynard School Committee.

“Mary always makes the impossible seem possible. The town of Maynard, especially our kids, have benefited tremendously from Mary’s vision, commitment, energy and hard work,” said Maynard Selectman Sally Bubier in a written statement to Middlesex West.

Bubier and fellow Selectman Bob Nadeau will be at the awards dinner. Nadeau will be presenting Brannelly with an official proclamation from the town, said Bubier.

Boxborough artist Bruce Davidson made a difference in the life of his friend, Dorothy Priest. The two were neighbors in Stow for about 15 years and remained friends after Davidson moved to Boxborough in 1998.

After Priest moved into the Concord Health Care Center, Davidson decided to de-institutionalize the nursing home. He began painting a large, floral mural on a wall in the second floor hallway in honor of Priest.

“This has been the single most satisfying event of my adult life,” Davidson told The Acton Beacon in 2007.

The mural soon became a community fixture for the residents. Many would chat with Davidson while he painted, while others would request scenes or items for Davidson to paint.

Fletcher said after observing Davidson interact with the residents, she was so impressed she left the staff an application to nominate Davidson for the Community Service Award.

In addition to the award presented at the dinner, winners will receive a citation from the Massachusetts Legislature, Fletcher said.

Nominations for the awards come through direct solicitation or from members of the community at large, Fletcher said.

“We keep an eye out all year long,” she said.
The nomination process kicks off in the fall, with the winners chosen by December in preparation for the annual awards dinner in January.

In addition to the Community Service Awards, the Chamber of Commerce recognizes local businesses for contributions to the eight communities the chamber serves — Acton, Boxborough, Carlisle, Concord, Littleton, Maynard, Stow and Westford.

This year, the chamber is giving out a new award: the Stars of Area Retail and Restaurant (SOARR). Customers nominated the eventual winners, Fletcher said.

“What’s really special is you just see how these stores are contributing so much to the richness of our community,” she said.

The awards dinner is scheduled for tonight, Thursday, Jan. 17.
Reporter Meghan B. Kelly can be reached at 978-371-5758 or mkelly@cnc.com