Thanksgiving Basket Drive

One of our great traditions is our Thanksgiving Basket Drive to benefit Blessed Sacrament Parish and the Parish of the Transfiguration, both in Manchester.  Yesterday our students donated about 350 baskets of food and we were able to make about 40 more out of donations from the students at St. Joseph Regional Junior High School.  At the end of the school day we had a number of parents and students (and Mr. Ron Raczka, the husband of our late guidance director Mrs. Raczka) help bring the items over to the parishes.  I went to Blessed Sacrament to help with the
unloading and the pastor, Father John Bucchino, OFM, was there to greet us and to thank us.  Father John said he loved being there when we arrive each year as it warms his heart.

I asked him to offer a prayer which we did and gave a blessing to all those who helped.  I was also honored to present him with a check for $500.00 from one of our families who wanted to help.

With Father John Bucchino, OFM and Trinity families/students
The sign is part of a project of one of our students

I found out this morning that the parent of one of our former students, Mrs. Angela Hughes, asked her co-workers to make baskets and they donated 54 to Blessed Sacrament as well.  I was blown away that she would do this even though her son transferred.  They are a very generous family and I was honored to work with on a number of projects last year and cannot thank them and their co-workers for their generosity.