Letters from 2021 grant recipients
Note: Letters are lightly edited to withhold amounts awarded and the correspondents’ names.
A rowing machine for cancer survivors
From the founder of the Upper Valley Rowing Foundation’s CReW program:
I am writing on behalf of the Upper Valley Rowing Foundation’s CReW (Cancer Recovery Through Rowing) Program to thank you for the Lion’s Club grant that we received in early May of this year.
As we described in our application, we used these funds, along with other money that we raised, to purchase indoor rowing machines for cancer survivors to use as part of our free exercise program. We provide year round on-the-water and indoor, ergometer-based rowing programs to women and men who have been diagnosed with cancer.
A rowing machine costs $900, and due to COVID, the immuno-compromised nature of our members, and travel time issues, we transitioned our erg program to a remote Zoom-based class. We provide the ergs to participants free of charge. Our program has been growing steadily and we are always in need of additional ergs.
Exercise is important for everyone, but it is especially important for cancer survivors – during treatment and beyond. Attached is a brochure from the Norris Cotton Cancer Center explaining the benefits of exercise for cancer patients – and featuring a lovely photo of one of our CReW boats on the water from the 2019 Prouty. This year we are able to do our Prouty row in person again, and instead of one “Four” (a four person rowing shell), we will have two full “Eights” of rowers out on the Connecticut pulling together.
Thank you again for your support of our program.
Marion Cross School 6th grade yearbook
From an MCS Parent:
Thank you so much for your generous grant to help Marion Cross fund this year’s 6th grade yearbook. Normally our sixth grade class works diligently all year running bake sales and other in person fund raising events to generate enough money to put together a small yearbook. In the past the yearbook has often been just simple black and white pages bound together with a few notes written by children and pictures from their families. Unfortunately this year’s sixth graders could not run bake sales or most other events to raise money. They worked hard to run a car wash once restrictions were relaxed, but that did not give us enough money to print a special yearbook. However, we wanted this year’s graduating Marion Cross students to remember more than just the restrictions and limitations of Covid. We wanted this year’s MCS class to have a yearbook to remember all the amazing things they learned and experienced while attending this one of a kind Vermont elementary school before they continue their education across the Connecticut River. The picture below shows the yearbook that was created due to your generous grant. Each 6th grade student will get a yearbook free of charge that chronicles all seven years of their time at MCS when they graduate on the town green this Thursday. Emma Cottage, a 6th grade parent and professional photographer, worked tirelessly to gather and arrange photos of each grade, important plays and sporting events, past years of dancing around the May Pole, musical concerts, and times playing in the Vermont snow! Thank you so much for allowing this keepsake to be given to our MCS graduates, we are so grateful that their Vermont educational experience will end on such a note of positivity!
An outdoor handicap access ramp for the Marion Cross School in Norwich
From a Kindergarten Teacher:
I am writing to acknowledge our receipt of a grant from the Norwich Lions Club to the Marion Cross School… This grant will be very helpful in assisting us to reach our current goal of making the nature area accessible to everyone. On behalf of everyone at the Marion Cross School and the Norwich community, please accept our sincere gratitude for this funding and supporting our Outdoor Program. This has helped us move closer to our goal.
