Dr. Heidi T. Riccio, Superintendent
565 Maple Street
Hathorne, MA 01937
For Immediate Release
Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019
Contact: Kelsey Bode
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]
Essex Tech Homecoming Gala Raises $68,000 for Catherine Larkin Memorial Cottage
DANVERS — Superintendent Heidi Riccio is pleased to announce that the Essex Tech community raised approximately $68,000 to support the Catherine Larkin Memorial Cottage project at the Homecoming Gala this October.
On Saturday, Oct. 19, more than 200 people attended the Homecoming Gala on the lawn in front of Smith Hall, where they gathered to support the project and enjoy a meal prepared by Essex Tech culinary students.
Funds from the gala will support the rebuilding of the Larkin Cottage, which was originally built in 1950 and was named after Catherine Larkin, an alumnus and World War II nurse Lieutenant who died in a plane crash in 1945.
“Thank you to everyone who attended the gala, and who have supported this endeavor,” Riccio said. “The Larkin Cottage has a rich history on our campus, and this project is an exciting chapter for our school. Once finished, the new facility will provide a wonderful space for classes to meet as well as for community gatherings, and the cottage will also house a collection of historic artifacts showcasing Essex Tech’s past.”
State Rep. Ted Speliotis, State Sen. Joan Lovely and State Rep. Thomas Walsh all attended the Gala. Members of the Larkin family also attended and spoke about Catherine.
The first Catherine Larkin Lifetime Service Awards were also awarded to Essex Aggie Alumni Bob Woods, owner of Wood Trucking, and Ted Dunjnaski, owner of Dunjnaski Dairy, at the event.
Funds raised at the gala include a $25,000 donation from the Essex Agricultural Society, as well as approximately $43,000 in private donations.
The new cottage will include an agricultural museum, learning center and community function space. The building will be located directly across Route 62 from the Farm Stand on the school’s main campus. Hundreds of students from various programs at Essex Tech are taking part in the project, including students studying carpentry, masonry, electrical, plumbing and agriculture.
Essex Tech has raised approximately $250,000 for the project through donations as well as grant funding, and has set a fundraising goal of $1 million.
To donate or learn more about the Catherine Larkin Memorial Cottage, visit essexnorthshore.org/larkin/.
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