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New Gentoo vest carries medication pump

It’s hard to hide a shoulder bag or fanny pack trailing three-to-four feet of IV tubing, much less to wear one while climbing a ladder, making a bed, playing with a toddler or dancing.

“It’s an awful thing,” said Weymouth native Gregory Affsa, 33, co-designer of an alternative to the standard chemotherapy setup for cancer patients. “For people who are already battling a life-threatening disease to be even more uncomfortable because of a treatment setup is unacceptable. They should be able to focus on their lives.

Affsa and his partner, Ben Nadeau, have designed and tested the Gentoo Vest, a light compression vest that holds the medication pump and IV tubing used in outpatient infusion treatments. Made of four-way-stretch athletic fabric, the vest is worn under clothing with only six-to-eight inches of tubing connecting the setup in a side vest pocket to the patient’s port….

Community celebrates teen’s life

The day she was born, Kate McCarthy’s dad named her “Angel Face,” and those gathered at her funeral Mass on Friday remembered the warmth and joy she brought them in her fifteen short years.

“She filled our lives with light and happiness,” said her brother Connor. “She would never leave without saying ‘I love you,’ and she gave the best hugs ever. Her hugs were warm and comforting in the way everybody should be hugged.”

“She was the perfect, textbook little sister,” Kate’s brother Liam said. “Her smile would light up the room.”

Family members, friends, and schoolmates filled St. Francis Xavier church to say farewell to the 15-year-old girl who died April 9 in a car accident….

Photos: Traveling zoo

Camels, porcupine, kangaroo! Llamas, lemurs, pygmy zebu! The Records & Burpee Traveling Children’s Zoo drew families to Weymouth from all over the South Shore and beyond.

“I like them because they’re so beautiful,” said Shanum Kamran, 4, of Hartford. Zen Abidi, 10, of Weymouth said the camel ride was “pretty high and kind of bumpy,” and he liked seeing and feeding the animals, especially the goats. “They’re easy to feed; they don’t bite,” he said….

Cops & Kids work in unity

“What’s the count on deck?”

“Sir! One hundred highly motivated, truly dedicated Weymouth Junior Police Academy cadets, sir!”

This spirited exchange opened and closed each day’s activities last week at the 16th annual program run by the Weymouth Police Department for youngsters entering fifth grade.

The cadets, selected by lottery, drilled and “chilled” in patrols headed by volunteer police officers and teen counselors to fulfill the academy’s goal: Cops and Kids Working in Unity.

“It was a great week. It was phenomenal,” said Weymouth Police Lt. Jim Barry, director of this year’s academy. “Everybody comes together and pulls together. You can’t put a price on that.”…

Friends make ‘reimagined, repurposed’  decor

Three friends originally from Weymouth have combined their passions for vintage furniture, recycling and art to create and sell one-of-a-kind home furnishings.

Their shop, Fieldstone Furnishings in Abington, offers an ever-changing inventory of made-over furniture and items that might otherwise be decorating landfills.

“We look for furniture that has good bones but needs some repairs, or with modifications can be turned to other purposes,” said Christine Henrikson, now of Abington. “Pieces that would otherwise be considered old and tired are reimagined, repurposed and re-loved.”…

‘AJ Strong’ aids youth’s recovery

Arthur “AJ” Sullivan, 15, of Weymouth is “a miracle,” according to family friends and relatives who are witnessing his recovery from a brain injury caused by a suicide attempt in June.

“He had no blink reflex, no response to pain stimulus,” said his mother, Alison Kelley Sullivan, a registered nurse. “He had a feeding tube till the end of July. He didn’t speak till August. He’s out-expected everyone.”

“He’s like a miracle,” said Sullivan’s sister Joanne Lossee. “Alison and AJ are amazing, and every day he gets better and better, but it’s still a long road.”…

Celebrate decades of hope in cancer fight

Organizers of Relay For Life of Braintree, Milton, and Randolph invite everyone to celebrate progress in the fight against cancer and to help finish the fight by supporting this weekend’s event at Braintree High School.

“We are hoping a lot of South Shore residents will come by and help us ‘pack the track’ that day,” said cancer survivor and RFL committee member Gail Moranski. “There will be a lot of free and fundraising activities in which families can participate, even if they aren’t signed up as registered walkers.”

“There’s a big misperception that you have to walk to participate,” she said. “We’re going to have a magician, a gathering of old cars, the opportunity for kids to view trucks used for community and public service, free music and more.”

Moranski said this year’s Relay celebrates the “Decades of Hope” achieved through research, education, advocacy, and services to cancer patients and families….

Blood Center relocates to Weymouth

The American Red Cross has moved its blood donation center from Forbes Drive in Braintree to 208 Main Street in Weymouth, near the intersection of Route 18 and Route 3. The center is equipped for multiple donation procedures, including whole blood, platelets, and plasma.

Procedures at the Weymouth donation center are the same, but with new accommodations for donors, who may spend up to three hours there for platelet collections. Each of the nine platelet stations is equipped with a flat screen and extensive selection of entertainment options. Three stations are set up to collect pints of whole blood.

The center also offers free Wi-Fi connection and a library of books, magazines, and DVDs, and it has a separate café area for donors to relax and enjoy snacks after their procedures.

“We believe the relocation to Weymouth will provide the opportunity to both maintain the current donor base and grow significantly in the South Shore area,” said Jeff Meyer, CEO, Massachusetts Blood Services Region….

‘Teecil’ approved by golf association

What started out as a joke between a Weymouth father and son is now a unique piece of golf equipment officially sanctioned by the United States Golf Association.

The original Teecil, a combination golf tee and pencil, was invented by Stephen Squillante, now 22, when he was a teenager golfing with his dad, also named Stephen.

“Every time I’d golf with him, he had a tee over one ear and a pencil over the other ear. He always grabbed the wrong one. It drove me crazy,” said Squillante. “I thought, ‘What if I made a tee into a pencil?’ I made a few up for him as a joke.”

The Teecil is now a patented product with more than 50,000 sold in the two years since Squillante decided to start a business making and selling them….

 ‘Feisty’ goose survives arrow through head

“The Odd Pet Vet,” Dr. Greg Mertz, has seen some unusual injuries in his practice and in his work at the New England Wildlife Center in Weymouth.

However, he recently had to deal with something new — a live Canada goose with an arrow through its head.

“I thought ‘Whoa! Wow! That’s incredible!’” said Mertz, who was expecting he would have to euthanize the bird. “It stood there on the table looking at me. When we gave it something to eat, it ate it.”

Mertz said he was still thinking he would have to do surgery until he grasped the arrow, which had been clipped to about four inches at each end. With a couple of interns holding the bird still, he said he was able to slide the arrow out….

Take a book, leave a book at sidewalk library

Before students returned to school this fall, Margaret Hart and her son Christopher, 10, prepared for a flurry of activity at the “Little Free Library” in the corner of their front yard. The miniature house on a sturdy post holds an ever-changing selection of books to borrow, swap, or keep.

“I really think a book is gone once it’s gone, and they’ll bring something different next time,” Hart said. “As long as people are reading, I’m happy.”

The Harts’ library is officially chartered by Little Free Library (LFL), a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization that registers and maps more than 25,000 libraries in all 50 states and more than 70 countries. Its stated mission is “to promote a sense of community, reading for children, literacy for adults, and libraries around the world.”…

Town pulls wedding together for Marine couple 

In an operation worthy of the Marines, members of the Everything Weymouth community on Facebook put together a dream wedding Saturday, Nov. 28 for Lance Corporal Christian R. Smith and Catherine L. McCall.

Instead of the private civil service the couple had planned over the Thanksgiving weekend, the newlyweds were married with traditional pomp and ceremony at the First Church in Weymouth, followed by a reception with dinner and dancing for about 90 family members and friends.

“We were planning to get married two years from now after I get out of school,” said Catherine, 20, who is enrolled in the Medical Assistant program at Bay State Community College. “Then we found out his best friend, who is in the Army, was coming home. He’s stationed in Alaska and could be deployed any time. All Christian wanted was his best friend at his wedding.”…

New Weymouth police initiative encourages ‘coffee with a cop’

Sgt. James St. Croix and Officer Jennifer Pompeo talked over cold drinks at the Dawn Til Dusk coffee shop about the Weymouth Police Department’s new division of Community Outreach Services and its newest initiative—Coffee with a Cop.

“Ideally, through outreach, we’ll build bridges, relationships, and partnerships,” said St. Croix, who was appointed to head the new division earlier this month. “I live in Weymouth. I care what happens in our town.”

“We always knew there was a need,” said Pompeo, a Weymouth native who has been providing community outreach services since February of this year. “It’s great to have more people and to put us all in one unit.”

Other members of the unit are Safety Officer Joe Favreau, Middle Schools Resource Officer James Flanagan, and Weymouth High School Resource Officer Patricia Critch.

“Coffee with a Cop is an opportunity for one-on-one interaction,” said St. Croix. “I already have seven or eight set up, and I’m hoping more people will be engaged and take advantage of this to meet us and to learn about our programs.”…

Flanagan helps Weymouth middle-schoolers

Not only is he the 11th child in an Irish family of 15, Weymouth Police Department officer James P. Flanagan, 51, and his wife Noreen are the parents of two boys and two girls between the ages of 10 and 18.
“I can’t stress enough how important it is to be involved in your kids’ lives. Nothing takes the place of a loving family,” said Flanagan, Weymouth’s new middle school resource officer. “The schools are phenomenal, but the foundation starts in the home. The schools are left to deal with the issues that are not addressed early on.“
Many of those issues — including bullying, online and personal safety, social media abuse and alcohol and drug awareness — become more prominent in the middle school years, he said….

Weymouth romance writer John Campbell turns into ‘Jeopardy!’ star

The local romance novelist who earned $37,400 in three appearances on the game show “Jeopardy!” last week is a 28-year-old Braintree native and Weymouth resident.
John P. Campbell vanquished a three-time champion in the game that aired Wednesday, Oct. 15, earned a runaway victory in the game Oct. 16, and placed second by $400 Oct. 17.
“You have to be fast on the buzzer and know a lot of stuff,” said Campbell. “First of all, I never thought I would get through the tryouts. A friend who’s watched every episode for 15 years came up to me last January and asked if I was trying out. I said no.“

Community celebrates Marine cousins’ safe return

For three Marine reservists reunited with their families last week after a seven-month deployment to Iraq, there’s no doubt who should be mentioned first in any account of their safe return: the 11 men of the 1st Battalion, 25th Marines who didn’t make it back with them:
LCpl. Christopher B. Cosgrove
LCpl. Eric P. Valdepenas
HM2 Christopher G. Walsh
Cpl. Jared M. Shoemaker
Cpl. Jordan C. Pierson
Capt. John J. McKenna IV
LCpl. Michael D. Glover
LCpl. Kurt E. Dechen
Cpl. Paul “Nick” King
Capt. Brian S. Letendre
Sgt. Matthew J. Fenton
The men who died and their families were never far from the thoughts of those who gathered Friday night to celebrate the homecoming of three cousins who served together in Iraq: Lance Corporal Joseph Pugsley of Weymouth, and Corporal Ryan Pugsley and Lance Corporal Kenneth Downey of Braintree….

Chapman School goes PINK for breast cancer awareness

Chapman Middle School students raised $5,000 in October for breast cancer patient and family support programs, according to English teacher Laura Caterer, who provided direction to the students’ fundraising efforts.
“I’m proud of our students, proud that they’ve taken on the challenge to become something larger than themselves and have embraced it so well,” said Caterer, 44, a five-year breast cancer survivor. “I’m proud of the school as part of the community, to come together to support something so important and take something like this on.“
Students raised money through sales of pink breast cancer awareness ribbons, bracelets, and T-shirts; a day of pink hair extension applications with services donated by stylists from Noreen’s Finally Hair and Weymouth High School cosmetology students; a Pandora charm bracelet prize drawing; and an Oct. 31 walk-a-thon open to the whole school.
“The students had amazing attitudes and were always wanting to participate in any way they could,” Caterer said. “We had students make bracelets, hair ribbons, tee shirts and sweat shirts. They really seemed to take a great deal of pride in what they were doing.“…

Favreau goes back to school in Weymouth

Police officer Joseph Favreau, a member of the Weymouth High School Class of 1984, returns to primary school this week as one of the town’s school safety officers.

“Every morning I’ll be at a different school, welcoming the kids off the bus, saying hello and high-fiving to get them enthusiastic about the day,” said Favreau. “I’ll be there to encourage and motivate, to be visible and approachable. I’ll stop by the lunch room just to say hi.“

Favreau has made it a point to meet all the school principals and to let them know he’s available, not only for safety talks and assemblies, but also to take part in field trips, he said.

“I’d be delighted to go along as an extra set of eyes and ears and to have the opportunity to interact with the kids,” he said….

Still teaching, Vinny DiSessa honored at Weymouth High School

After 46 years of teaching, 41 years at Weymouth High School, Vincent J. DiSessa retired in June of 1990. The following September, he was back in the classroom as a substitute teacher, and he’s still there 24 years later.

“I was going to stay home and be a Mr. Fix-it,” said DiSessa.

That’s what he told a neighbor who stopped by in July while DiSessa was doing yard work. A week later, the neighbor — then-Weymouth Schools Superintendent Robert West — sent him an application form for substitute teaching.

“I told my wife to throw it in the waste basket, but she didn’t,” said DiSessa. “I decided to give it a shot, and here I am 25 years later. I’m going to go until I can’t walk anymore.”

This week, the Weymouth High community is celebrating the life and contributions of “Mr. D” as he marks his 90th birthday on Friday….

Makayla Fund aims to save lives by raising suicide awareness

Makayla Guerriero of Abington loved being on the varsity high school lacrosse team, but several times she offered to quit, said her father, Tim Guerriero. She worried about the school user fees her family had to pay for every season she played.

When Makayla died by suicide a month short of her 16th birthday, her family wanted to make sure no student missed the opportunity to be on a team because of money. They also were determined to “save one life,” at least, through suicide awareness and prevention.

“It’s very important for kids to have the backing of that friendship and support, the feeling of being part of a team and that sense of accomplishment,” said Tim Guerriero, formerly of Weymouth. “If we have the money, we don’t want any student to not play.”

Since Makayla died in November 2012, the Makayla Fund has given more than $30,000 in scholarships, including more than $5,000 to individual students and more than $17,000 to school teams to allow them to compete, he said….

Weymouth High Theater Club prepares for Drama Festival state finals

There was a very real possibility the Weymouth High School Theater Club would have to withdraw from the state Drama Festival competition due to the school being closed for a good part of February.

“For almost a month before the competition, we weren’t able to be on our stage because of the snow,” said director Donnie Norton. “Because of the generosity and help of the Weymouth High School administration, the Weymouth High School Theater Club parents and alumni, and the community at large, we were able to complete the set and costumes and rehearse at a time when it looked like there was no way to save the Festival season this year.”

But everyone worked together to stage a dramatic comeback….

Fr. John Currie new head of two Weymouth parishes

Year Two of the pastoral collaborative of Immaculate Conception and Saint Jerome brings a change in leadership, with the Reverend John A. Currie appointed pastor of both Weymouth Catholic parishes.

One of his primary goals, said Fr. Currie, is to continue addressing questions and misconceptions about how the collaborative model fits into “Disciples in Mission: A Pastoral Plan for the Archdiocese of Boston.”

“We plan to hold several ‘town meeting’ sessions and workshops. I’ve also appointed a Director of Communications,” he said. “We have to inform people of what the collaborative is and is not, what the mission is and is not, and invite them to embrace the new evangelization.”…

‘Coop’s Troop’ rallies for Weymouth child with rare disorder

Most parents of a two year-old watch eagerly for their child to achieve the next milestone. Kelly and Michael Richards of Weymouth watch their son Cooper regress and hope that whatever else he loses, he will always be able to inspire love in all who know him.

“He is just the sweetest little boy,” said his mom. “He has the most amazing, dynamic eyes that just pull you in.”

Since Cooper was diagnosed in March with a rare genetic disorder, family and friends have rallied around the Richards family and formed the Coop’s Troop committee to raise funds for the extra expenses involved in his care….

Buddhist Temple expecting 3000 to celebrate Buddha’s birthday

As many as 3,000 Buddhist members and 50 venerable monks from throughout the northeast are expected to celebrate the 2549th birthday of Sakyamuni Buddha this Sunday at the Samantabhadra (Pho-Hien) Buddhist Center in Braintree.

“We have 120 other Buddhist organizations in the New England area,” said Venerable Master Thich Thien Hue, the center’s founder. “This is an opportunity for everyone to get to know each other and share our traditions with each other.”

Most of those who will be attending are far away from their homelands, but all have come to this country where they have freedom and can participate in worship, said the Ven. Master Hue. “Everyone is invited to come and get to know us. We try to share our value and the traditions we practice with everyone, Buddhist or not Buddhist.”

The international Vesak ceremony will include the Bathing of the Baby Buddha, when each member comes forward to the Temple basin to shower the statue of the baby Buddha with water and flower petals. By focusing on the ritual cleansing with a pure mind, members hope to decrease the bad kharma they have brought into their lives through bad thoughts and actions, said the Ven. Master Hue.

“If we have been human beings, then everyone has made mistakes,” he said. “Buddha represents the perfect mind. As human beings, we forgot the way. We celebrate how we come back with the Buddha. We ask everyone to focus deeply on the need to follow the way.”…

Relay for Life of Braintree, Milton and Randolph kicks off ‘Carnival for a Cure’ for cancer

With feathered masks and colorful beads, wild accessories and bountiful food, the Relay For Life of Braintree, Milton, and Randolph kicked off its 15th annual event to support the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Carolyn Killian from the Leadership Team announced the theme for 2016, Carnival for a Cure, and said the family-friendly event will have a party atmosphere with fun, games, and entertainment for all….

All welcome to Weymouth’s ‘Carnival of Hope’ June 13

The 10th annual Relay For Life of Weymouth is a one day, community wide event to raise both awareness and funds for the American Cancer Society (ACS). In a change from past years, the 2015 “Carnival of Hope” is not an overnight event, but will be held from noon to midnight on Saturday, June 13, at the Weymouth High School track.

Everyone is invited to stroll the track, visit the team sites for carnival games and enjoy the entertainment, including Zumba and Bollywood dancing, said event chair JoAnne Manupelli. “The concession stand will be open from 2 to 9 p.m., and there will be food at many of the team sites throughout Relay.”…

Relay promotes ‘Seasons of Change’

The ninth annual Relay For Life of Weymouth will take place June 13 and 14, but event co-chairwoman JoAnne Whitten called participants to immediate action with this year’s theme, “Seasons of Change: Fighting Against Cancer All Year Long.”

“Together we can finish the fight!” Whitten said at the Feb. 20 kickoff rally to raise funds and awareness for the American Cancer Society’s (ACS) programs of research, education, advocacy, and services to patients and families….

‘Carnival of Hope’ theme for 10th annual Relay for Life of Weymouth

The 10th annual Relay for Life of Weymouth will be a one-day “Carnival of Hope,” to be held noon to midnight on Saturday, June 13, at the Weymouth High School track. Relay teams will maintain a constant presence on the track to raise funds and awareness for the American Cancer Society (ACS).

“There’s no overnight camping this year,” said JoAnne Manupelli, co-chair of the leadership team. “People will be able to come out earlier in the day, and we hope the carnival theme will attract more families and spectators, and possibly more teams.”

Another change this year, she said, is there is no registration fee for teams or participants….

O’Malley brings message of mercy, love to St. Jerome Parish in Weymouth

Jesus came as “the Messenger of Joy and the Good News” and his followers are called to the same mission, “to show the merciful face of God to a broken world,” said Cardinal Seán O’Malley to the congregation at Saint Jerome Parish Saturday evening.

The head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston celebrated the 5:30 p.m. Mass Jan. 30 in the parish church before meeting with area priests for an informal dinner at the rectory.

“Every day we celebrate Mass and share in the Eucharist,” said the Reverend John Currie, pastor of the Catholic Weymouth Collaborative of Immaculate Conception and Saint Jerome Parishes. “During the Eucharistic prayer, we always pray for Pope Francis, Cardinal Seán and those who shepherd the Church. Having Cardinal Seán with us was a wonderful opportunity to pray for him, but, even more, a humble honor to pray with him in person.”…

Peace Corps veteran called to ministry at Old South Union

When Erica Smith graduated from college in 1997, she thought she might want to enter the seminary. When she returned from her Peace Corps service in Ecuador three years later, she was sure of it.

“I learned a ton about compassion and grace,” said the Reverend Smith, now associate minister at Old South Union Congregational Church. “One of the greatest gifts I’ve been given was watching God work in places which look very different from the places I’ve come from. To watch God work has been awesome.”

Rev. Smith served as an urban youth development worker in Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador and one of South America’s largest ports with a population of more than two million. Based in the U.S. equivalent of a community center, she worked on everything from health and hygiene campaigns to mentoring and tutoring programs and help for women starting up their own small businesses.

“I learned to look at the world with a new set of eyes. I have a much greater sense of the global community,” said Rev. Smith. “I’m certainly much better informed about issues of justice in the world at large. I have a greater sense that we are connected as human beings regardless of nationalities.”

“My experience in Ecuador challenges me to be aware of what the issues are wherever in the world I go, Weymouth or Wichita,” she said….

ICE helps Weymouth students melt barriers

Amanda Carbonneau, Francesco Hladysz and Gregory Walsh donned caps and gowns for commencement ceremonies with their Weymouth High School Class of 2011 mates, but did not share in the excitement of their peers’ plans for college or career education.

Because they have cognitive disabilities, they were scheduled to remain at the high school until they turned 22 and transitioned to the Department of Developmental Services. However, through a state grant program available at Bridgewater State University the past three semesters, they were able to share in the college experience, helping to melt barriers to higher education for people with disabilities. (Editor’s note: Gregory Walsh is the writer’s son.)

The Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment (ICE) program gives high school students age 18 to 21 who have cognitive disabilities the opportunity and the support systems to audit classes at no charge and be part of campus life at participating state colleges and universities.

“Although I have a disability, I still want the same things as my peers, and I like being on campus with my friends,” Carbonneau said in a presentation to the Weymouth Special Education Parent Advisory Council….

PHOTOS: Weymouth students ‘F.A.C.E.’ their future together

The Family and Community Engagement (F.A.C.E.) initiative offered visitors hands-on learning opportunities in computer coding and circuit design; musical instruments and art techniques; math puzzles and brain teasers; physical and emotional health; military service, trades, and college.

“Let’s F.A.C.E. Our Future Together” was Saturday’s event on the grounds of Weymouth High School. See which students got a kick out of preparing for their future! Wicked Local photos/ Maureen Walsh

Randolph Relay for Life teams kick off cancer fight

The March 4 kickoff rally for the American Cancer Society (ACS) Relay For Life of Braintree, Milton, and Randolph evoked the 1950s with poodle skirts, tight jeans and jackets, 45 rpm records, hula hoops, and root beer floats.

But no one wanted to duplicate other aspects of the decade: the pervasive fog of cigarette smoke, the oblivious sun-tanning, the secrecy and fatalism surrounding “the Big C.”…

PHOTOS: Braintree relays for a cure

Breast cancer survivor speaks at Weymouth Relay for Life kickoff event

The single-most reason people get cancer is that they get older, said Deborah Cornwall of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), Inc. “Most never saw it coming; they never had a clue. Only 5 to 10 percent of cancers are hereditary.”

Cornwall, a breast cancer survivor, spoke at the Feb. 19 kickoff of the 10th annual Relay For Life of Weymouth. The event was attended by Relay team captains and members, cancer survivors and caregivers, and Relay volunteers.

“I felt like I had been socked in the gut with a two-by-four,” said Cornwall, who was diagnosed through a routine mammogram at age 55. “I had absolutely no reason to expect that I would get cancer. My doctor told me, ‘You got older, and that increases your chances.’”

Celebrate ‘Decades of Hope’ in cancer fight June 12-13

Organizers of Relay For Life of Braintree, Milton, and Randolph invite everyone to celebrate progress in the fight against cancer and to help finish the fight by supporting this weekend’s event at Braintree High School.

“We are hoping a lot of South Shore residents will come by and help us ‘pack the track’ that day,” said cancer survivor and RFL committee member Gail Moranski. “There will be a lot of free and fundraising activities in which families can participate, even if they aren’t signed up as registered walkers.”

“There’s a big misperception that you have to walk to participate,” she said. “We’re going to have a magician, a gathering of old cars, the opportunity for kids to view trucks used for community and public service, free music and more.”…

Festivities kick off ‘Mardi Gras’ parade against cancer in Weymouth

With feathered masks and colorful beads, wild accessories and bountiful food, the Relay For Life of Weymouth kicked off its 11th annual event to support the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Yvonne Chase, head of the Leadership Team, announced the theme for 2016, Mardi Gras, and said the family-friendly event will have a party atmosphere with fun, games, and entertainment for all….

Braintree Relay for Life ‘still going strong’

Celebrating 100 years since the founding of the American Cancer Society (ACS), team members and community participants raised more than $90,516 last month for ACS programs of research, education, advocacy, and service to patients and families.

Forty teams with nearly 500 registered members maintained a constant presence on a temporary track around the Richard J. Carson Field at Braintree High School for the 14th annual Relay For Life of Braintree, Milton, and Randolph.

Teams camped around the track from 3 p.m. Friday until 7 a.m. Saturday June 8 and decorated their campsites to fit the theme “Decades of Hope.” Many sites also offered games, food, prize drawings, and items for sale to support the ACS.

“It has been 30 years since Dr. Gordie Klatt started Relay For Life on his own and it is still going strong,” said co-chair Carolyn Killian at the opening ceremonies. “But it is not just an event. The American Cancer Society is at work 365 days a year.”…

Relay for Life leaders serve up ‘Tea for Two’ event April 18

A light luncheon and tea for cancer survivors and their caregivers will be served Saturday, April 18, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Thayer Public Library, 798 Washington St. in Braintree. The second annual “Tea for Two, Your Caregiver and You” event is sponsored by the leadership team of the Relay For Life of Braintree, Milton, and Randolph.

“It’s just another way to celebrate survivors and thank their caregivers,” said leadership team member Bette Blom. “We wanted to do something in a smaller setting, something quieter and more elegant than the Relay survivor dinner. That can be crowded, and people get lost. This is more intimate.”…