‘Celebration of Community Spirit’ set for Sept. 23

By Canton Citizen

On Friday, September 23, the Paul R. Matthews Foundation will host the third annual “Celebration of Community Spirit,” beginning at 7 p.m. at Pequitside Farm in Canton. In addition to a silent auction, raffles and refreshments, this year’s celebration will feature performances by three renowned Boston comedians: Joe Yanetty, Dave Russo and Graig Murphy.

Joe Yanetty

This celebration raises funds for the Paul R. Matthews Foundation, established in memory of Paul Matthews, a longtime member of the Canton School Committee and advocate for the youth of the community. The foundation’s mission is to support the children and students of Canton through scholarships and programs.

Last year’s celebration enabled the foundation to provide scholarships and grants to several applicants whose mission reflected the goals of the foundation.

“The support and generosity of the community has always been nothing short of extraordinary,” said Suzanne Matthews, president of the foundation. “Through event participation and donations, this year we were able to support the Dean S. Luce Elementary School and Canton High School in addition to awarding two scholarships to deserving Canton High graduates who exemplify community spirit.”

Dave Russo

“We are very excited about this year’s event,” she continued. “Since this is the third year, we wanted to offer something new and exciting. The comedians we have lined up will certainly keep the party going. It should be a great time for all. And we have some wonderful silent auction items this year, including getaways, tickets to events, and sports memorabilia.”

Yanetty is best known for defeating Drew Carey on Star Search and is currently touring with Rosie O’Donnell. Russo, recipient of the 2001 “Best New Comic” award at the Boston International Comedy Festival, regularly appears on Comedy Central, The Today Show, and hosts the Wicked Funny Comedy Tour on NESN. Murphy has been featured on National Public Radio station WBUR, NESN’s Comedy All-Stars and on Dirty Water TV.

Tickets to the event, priced at $35 each, can be purchased on the foundation website at www.prmfoundation.com. The silent auction will also be listed on the site. In addition to the regular raffle, this year’s event also features a “special” raffle with tickets priced at $5 each. The special raffle features an IPad 2, a reserved parking space for a student at Canton High, and a season waiver for the Canton athletic user fee. Regular updates can also be found on the foundation Facebook page at www.facebook.com/paulrmatthewsfoundation.

To purchase event tickets, to make a donation or for further information, visit the website, call 781-828-0989, or send an email to prmfoundation@aol.com.

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