December 8, 2008

Photo Finish from the Dec. 8, 2008 Issue of the WBJ

Photo/Courtesy Bottom Line, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping disadvantaged youth successfully get admitted to and graduate from college, recently held an open house for its newly opened Worcester office. Bottom Line offers free one-on-one mentoring to high school students and has served more than 3,000 students since it was founded in 1997. Pictured, from left to right, are: Worcester Mayor Konstantina Lukes, Bottom Line Executive Director Greg Johnson, and the chairman of Bottom Line's Worcester Advisory Committee, Charles O'Connor.

Photo/Courtesy Children from the Boston-based Home for Little Wanderers crowd around Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield (left), infielder Sean Casey (center), and Bernie Rubin, co-founder of Bernie and Phyl's Furniture (right) who brought the kids to Fenway to enjoy a day at the field and experience their first ever Red Sox game as part of the Ninth Annual Bernie's Baseball Buddies outing. Bernie and Phyl's is based in Norton and has six stores, including one in Westborough.

Photo/Courtesy Raceway Golf Club in Thompson, Conn., hosted the 25th Annual Dr. Van's Golf Tournament which raises money for the Harrington Memorial Hospital in Southbridge and the Rotary Club of Southbridge and Charlton. The money raised by this event is used by the Rotary Club for scholarships to local students, and by Harrington's Cardiac Rehab for scholarships to hospital employees, educational materials and exercise equipment for patients. Pictured is State Rep. Paul Kujwalski (D- Worcester), left, who participated in the event with Ed Moore, right, president of Harrington Memorial Hospital.

Photo/Courtesy Professional swing dancers filled the floor at the 5th Annual HealthAlliance Hospital Cat's Meow Speakeasy Tasting Gala, a 1920s flapper- and gangster-themed event benefitting the HealthAlliance Emergency Department in Leominster. About 450 guests attended the gala, where more than 30 local establishments set up food and beverage tasting tables, ultimately helping to raise more than $30,000 for the cause.

Photo/Courtesy On October 21, several children participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of the first phase of the Cookson Park restoration project in Worcester. The College of the Holy Cross has donated $20,000 and the dedication of many volunteer students in the effort to restore the 18-acre park located between Kendig and Boyden Streets. Phase one of the project consisted of the construction of the Cookson Field Playground and its nearby parking area and the remaining phases will consist of trail clearing, an overlook and clearing, and more parking.