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Boston –Boston Minuteman Council hosts its 33^rd annual Salute to Scouting on October 20 at the InterContinental Hotel in Boston.  This event honors outstanding local business leaders and is a major fundraiser for Scouting programs in Boston. Jay Cashman, Chairman of the Board of Cashman, Inc. and David Kirkpatrick, Founder and Chairman of Plymouth Rock Studios will receive the Ralph Lowell Award.  Robert J. Haynes, President, Massachusetts AFL-CIO will receive the Champion for Character Award.

The Ralph Lowell Award is presented annually to individuals who exemplify the ideals of Ralph Lowell, a key contributor to the Boston community. Lowell was well known for helping others and taking an active role in the community.  Cashman and Kirkpatrick exemplify this spirit of community contribution.

“Diversity. Quality. Reliability” is how Cashman, Inc. defines their business philosophy.  Around Boston and throughout New England, Cashman, Inc. is known for its expertise in civil, marine, dredging, and environmental projects including work on the New England Aquarium IMAX theatre, Fort Point Channel, and jetty and bridge projects.  Jay Cashman, known for being in the forefront of new trends, is currently working on a wind energy project at Cape Cod.  Cashman supports organizations which benefit children and help prevent domestic abuse.

“Scouting is one of the bright lights in our country which illuminates for our children the right principals,” said Cashman.  “Scouting guides them toward the better choices which ultimately forms their soul and their sense of what integrity means…[When I see] “Eagle Scout” on resumes …I am impressed because I know what a commitment it took to get it.”

David Kirkpatrick is the Founder and Chairman of Plymouth Rock Studios.  After decades of success in Hollywood including Golden Globe®, Emmy® and Independent Spirit awards, Kirkpatrick is now working to bring filmmaking back to Boston with a permanent studio in Plymouth.  Former president of Paramount Pictures, and studio production chief at Walt Disney Studios and Touchstone pictures, Kirkpatrick’s industry expertise and contacts are helping get this new enterprise off to a successful start. 

 The Champion for Character Award is presented annually to an individual who demonstrates outstanding citizenship and integrity in out community. This year’s recipient, Robert J. Haynes, has been a tireless champion for working families in Massachusetts for over 20 years.

 Haynes, President, Massachusetts AFL-CIO, began his career in 1968 as an ironworker.  Within 11 years, he was Financial Secretary-Treasurer of Local 7 Ironworkers.  In 1987, he was elected Massachusetts AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer, and became President in 1998.  Haynes serves on the boards of many local and regional organizations which benefit our community including Massachusetts Workforce Investment Board, Boston Private Industry Council, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Mass AREA (Massachusetts Affordable, Reliable Electricity Alliance), University of Massachusetts/Boston Center for Collaborative Leadership and Development and Friends of Boston Homeless.

“The Scout Oath and Law have guided me at work and in life,” said Haynes. “I strive daily to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, and to do my best. And I look for people with those commitments when putting a team together.”

Tickets to this event are available through the Boston Minuteman Council, 411 Unquity Road, Milton.  Call 617-615-0004 x 309.  Proceeds directly benefit Scouting in the Boston area. The Boston Minuteman Council of the Boy Scouts of America serves over 14,000 youth in the Boston area.   From Cub Scouts (age 7) to Venturing (age 20), Scouts learn leadership, friendship, and cooperation.  Annually, Scouts donate tens of thousands of hours to community service projects. 

In 2010, Boston Minuteman Council will celebrate 100 years of Scouting in America with a series of events including the release of a book and DVD commemorating our local history, tree plantings, interfaith celebrations, service projects, leadership recognitions, and more. Boy Scouts of America was founded in Washington DC in 1910.

The Boston Minuteman Council has been approved to receive contributions from Shaw’s through the Shaw’s Community Rewards program. Shaw’s will contribute 1% of each supporter’s eligible Rewards Card purchases made on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Certain items including prescriptions, alcohol, tobacco, stamps, money orders, gift cards, electronic gift cards, lottery tickets, photo processing, milk and other items prohibited by law are excluded. Contributions apply to all order purchases after discounts, coupons and sales tax. The Council will receive contributions from the rewards program quarterly.

It’s easy to sign up: go to Shaws.com and enter your rewards card number and phone number. The Boston Minuteman Council’s Community Rewards ID is 49001022986. Thank you for your support!

Kids in foster care have had some tough breaks.  Their family life has been disrupted and now they are being placed in a family who can care for them.  When it comes time to move, often these kids have to load what few things they own into trash bags.  A caring social worker and foster parent, Ron Nickerson, decided that giving kids trash bags to transport their belongs sent the wrong message.  Trash belongs in trash bags, not precious belongings.  Kids needed a suitcase that they could call their own.

Intent on making a change, Nickerson began with a modest goal of colleting 700 suitcases in the Haverhill area.  The project had its very first collection in June 2009 and collected 1,339 suitcases – almost double what he hoped to collect!

Nickerson has a new goal – and he hopes you will help.  He wants to collect 14,000 suitcases by June 2010.  That would provide one suitcase for every child in foster care in Massachusetts.  If he can reach that goal, he then wants to collect one suitcase for every child in New England – 86,000 suitcases.

The only way he can reach this goal is through caring donations.

On Saturday, October 10,  Suitcases4Kids will hold a collection at six sites around Boston.  In Cambridge, Woburn, Burlington, Somerville, and Wilmington, volunteers will happily accept your suitcase donations.  These suitcases will go directly to children in need.  S4K Cambridge-Burlington Flyer

At the Burlington Mall location, Boston Minuteman Council will also be hosting a Cub Scout/Boy Scout recruiting drive.  You can sign your son up to join a local Scout organization and donate a suitcase at the same time.

So, bring a suitcase to one of the collection sites on October 10 and make the life of a child in need better – and send them the message that they matter!