North Shore Community Supports Northeast Arc

On behalf of Northeast Arc, I’d like to thank the North Shore community for their support of our recent Swing into Spring Dinner & Auction benefiting local kids and adults with disabilities. The event brought in $100,000 in support of NeArc’s mission of helping people with disabilities become full participants in the community, choosing for themselves how to live, learn, work, socialize and play.

Thanks to the generosity of our guests at the event at Kernwood Country Club, we will be able to purchase recreation equipment for the fourteen new classes being offered this year, including baseball, basketball, biking, fishing, flag football, golf, hiking, karate, kickball, lacrosse, mini golf, soccer, surfing and tennis. Because they are at higher risk for chronic illness, isolation and depression, these programs are vital in helping kids and adults with disabilities get and stay fit, active and social. The chance to make friends is priceless!

Swing into Spring would not have been successful without the support of our friends in the business community. Thank you to our Cy Young Sponsor: Eastern Bank, and to our Carlton Fisk Sponsors: Northeast Clinical Services; the Rainer Family and United Benefit Services; our Jim Rice Sponsors: Annkissam; Cabot Money Management; HUB International; McGladrey; Mountain One Bank; North Shore Bank; and Debbie Ponn; and to our Media Sponsor: The Salem News. Thank you to our custom caricature artist, John Doherty who entertained our guests with his unique custom caricatures. Kappy’s Liquors in Peabody generously donated the wine for the wine tasting, thanks to Donna Myette and Marc Grabert for pouring and describing each wine for our guests. Andrew Sussman, of TSG Weddings, our audiovisual technician, thank you for making us look good again this year!

We thank our long-time ambassador, Kim Carrigan, who shared her time and talents with us as Emcee and Celebrity Auctioneer for our live auction, as well as the newest members of our Northeast Arc family, sports journalist Mike Shalin and former Red Sox pitcher Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd who served as Celebrity Auctioneers and entertained attendees by posing for photos and autographing books.

Finally, Northeast Arc’s Swing into Spring would not have been the success it was without a dynamic and motivated Committee to oversee it, led by Event Chair Ivy Dorflinger, Auction Chair Mikki Wilson and Program Book Chair Dan Corbett. We cannot possibly list everyone who donated to the event in some way, but we know that Northeast Arc would not be able to continue to help the 7,000 people we serve annually in 150 Massachusetts cities and towns without the support of our neighbors in the community. Thank you!

Randi Holland

Development Officer

Northeast Arc

Photo: Pictured L to R - Ivy Dorflinger, Swing Into Spring Event Chair, Sports Journalist, Mike Shalin, Red Sox Great Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd, Kim Carrigan, Co-host of WRKO The Financial Exchange.