SAUGUS — Participants and visitors of the Founder’s Day in Saugus were equally excited to celebrate the community for the first time in two years on Saturday.
The event, organized by the Saugus Youth and Recreation Department, drew hundreds of people, while dozens of businesses, vendors, crafters, and community organizations set up their tents and tables early in the morning in front of the Saugus Town Hall on Central Street.
The event started with Kim Toby singing the national anthem a capella, while veterans raised the American flag on the flagpole on the town hall’s lawn. A moment of silence for the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks followed.
Phil Duffy, his daughter Katie Heartt, and his 7-year-old granddaughter, Ella, were watching the festivities from their porch.
“I’ve been involved with this (Founder’s Day) for many years,” said Duffy, who remembers the times when booths were made by hand from lumber.
“I think the most excited is my daughter. She is very excited to see many people here again and see a lot of faces that we haven’t seen in a long time,” said Heartt.
Various town entertainers performed on a small stage in front of the town hall. For example, parents and other visitors enjoyed several performances from the young dancers of the Dance Junction studio.
Nate and Karen Shiverdecker set up a long table of Nate’s wooden intarsia creations for sale. Intarsia woodworking involves creating a mosaic-like picture out of multicolored and interlocking pieces of wood. Shiverdecker, who retired from a custodial position at Saugus High School several years ago, creates dogs, cats, Christmas decorations, and crosses out of stained pine wood.
“We love it!” said Karen Shiverdecker about Founder’s Day. “It is a big festival that was greatly missed last year. We are really grateful that it is great weather and everybody came together, especially on this day today.”
Multiple Saugus youth organizations and schools, including Saugus High School, Girl Scouts, and students at Saugus Catholic, set up games and raffles to collect funds for various causes.
The Saugus High School senior Class of 2022 was raising money for senior week and prom. They set up a dunk-tank game in addition to selling shirts and water.
Senior Ryann Moloney was the first one to volunteer on the collapsible seat.
“It was scary and very cold!” said Moloney about falling into the water tank for the first time, when one of her classmates hit the target. “I didn’t think he was going to get me in!”
Two parent-teachers organizations of Veteran’s Early Learning Center and Belmonte STEAM Academy set up table games next to each other to raise funds to supplement school-enrichment expenses and teachers’ needs.
“I am so glad to be back!” said Jill Lauziere, a parent-volunteer from the Belmont school. “It really feels great to be out among the community.”
Alena Kuzub can be reached at [email protected].
