THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2020 Page 9 THANKSGIVING HEROES: These three Saugus High School students were among many of the volunteers who showed up last Saturday (Nov. 21) at Cliftondale Congregational Church, where the Saugus United Parish Food Pantry prepared Thanksgiving meals for needy Saugus families. Shown from left to right are Alyssa Swible Martinez, Victoria Quagenti and April Aldred. They are juniors and helped to load turkey meals and boxes of the trimmings in cars that drove up to pick up. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) ASKS | FROM PAGE 3 Job Lots Saugus Board of Selectmen held a town-wide food drive. SHS National Honor Society Trader Joe’s Church of the Nazarene East Boston Savings Bank (+ reusable bags) Verizon Store Medi Mirnasiri – 100 turkeys & 102 pies Wheelabrator – 30 turkeys & 72 pies North Shore Bank – 10 turkeys St. Vincent de Paul – dinner rolls East Saugus United Methodist Church Metro Credit Union (+ reusable bags) Sue’s sister – turkey Ms. Moses – turkey Terry Ash Cliftondale Congregational Church Saugus Everett Elks Al Bonato John Carpenito – 10 pies Q: What do you think of all these volunteers doing this, sir? Joseph Rotunno, 61, of Saugus, who sat in the passenger seat of his car, waiting for his Thanksgiving meal to be delivered: I’m going to get the turkey and all of the trimmings for Thanksgiving. It’s very nice. I need this. I got squash, potatoes and gravy. After Thanksgiving I will make turkey soup out of it. Q: So, will you have this with your family at home? Rotunno: No. I’m going to have Thanksgiving with my brother and his wife. This is very nice. Q: What do you think about you and your teammates taking part in this annual Thanksgiving food drive? Doug Clark, a senior and co-captain on the Saugus High football team: I love doing this. It’s awesome. We really haven’t gotten to do too much as a team so far this year because of COVID. And it’s too bad that we don’t get to play in a Thanksgiving football game. But we get to do this instead of the game, which makes up for it. I don’t know any of the people who are receiving [the Thanksgiving meal], but it sure makes them happy. Q: How do your teammates feel about it? Clark: Nobody was down about it. They all want to do this. It’s great, because I’m seeing a lot of my friends here. Q: What does this project mean to you? Chase Ledbury, a junior, who plays quarterback and receiver on the Saugus High School team: I think it’s pretty special to be able to help out the community. If some people can enjoy a meaningful Thanksgiving because of what we are doing, that’s a lot. It shows that the community is giving to people who need some help. And that’s what the holiday is all about. We haven’t been together as a team for a while now, but now we get to do the holiday together by doing something nice without the football. Q: So, what do you get out of this project? THE ASSEMBLY LINE: Volunteers at the Saugus United Parish Food Pantry used a ladder to move Thanksgiving food packages out of the basement of Cliftondale Congregational Church. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) April Aldred, 17, a junior on the Saugus High girls soccer team: It’s really great to be able to give something back to the community. I’m thankful for my family and friends. So, I’m happy to be able to do something that helps people in my town. Q: How many players do you have helping out today? Saugus Football Coach Steve Cummings: About 20. We’re glad about anything we can do to help out – to make people’s lives easier. There’s a lot of people out there who need help right now. Q: How did it go, Elizabeth? Elizabeth Marchese, a former Saugus School Committee member and huge Sachem sports booster, who helped to organize an army of volunteers on short notice, through her social media text messages: It takes a village to do something like this, you know, not just one person. But I have to give a huge shout-out to Wendy Reed and all the volunteers at the Saugus United Food Pantry who organized over 200 Thanksgiving meals for our fellow Saugonians! I would also like to give a very special and heartfelt thank you to Sachem Football and Sachem Girls Soccer for always stepping up whenever you are asked and again putting others first. I am so very proud to say today that it was definitely “A Great Day to be a Sachem”! An unidentified parent who was outside the church last Saturday: It makes you feel pretty good – bringing these kids to reality. CARRYING THE LOAD: During last Saturday’s annual Thanksgiving food drive, Saugus High School Sachem football team co-captain Doug Clark carried a turkey to be loaded into a car for transport to a needy Saugus home. Clark was among about 20 football players who volunteered at the Saugus United Parish Food Pantry. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler)
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