SAUGUS ― While Founders’ Day will be making its triumphant return after a pandemic-induced pause, one aspect of the event will be missed for the second year in a row.
The Founders’ Day Persons of the Year award will not be given out in 2021. This will be the second straight year that the award isn’t handed out, as the 2020 event was cancelled.
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the town as well as communities across the United States. The Founders’ Day Committee struggled to find places to meet, said member Joyce Rodenhiser, who added that the appointment of Persons of the Year is not a decision that can be made in haste.
“When we meet, we usually meet in July or August to make these decisions, and there was not really a place where we could meet when we should have met,” said Rodenhiser. “The public spaces were not ready yet, at that point in time. So we didn’t meet, so we couldn’t make any decisions.”
Rodenhiser said that this was the same reason for which they were unable to dole out the award in 2020 ― she said that it’s necessary to meet ahead of time for a decision like this one.
The committee member also stated that the group felt it wasn’t safe to meet in a public space. She noted that possible venues for the meeting, such as Town Hall and the library, were closed to the public a month or two ago ― which was precisely when the committee needed to meet.
In spite of the absence of the Persons of the Year award, Rodenhiser thinks it’s fine for the Founders’ Day event to return in 2021.
“I think it should go ahead,” she said. “Other people are having outdoor activities, some of them are having indoor activities. I think it’s fine if they (the town) want to just go ahead and do what they can do outside. I know the library has canceled their book sale as well.”
The committee hopes to be able to reconvene next year, and might hand out awards for the last three years when Founders’ Day 2022 comes around.
