Hubbardston senior volunteers finalize plans for yard sale, field day and October dance

Members of the Hubbardston Senior Center Friends and Council spent the meeting finalizing details for a busy fall calendar that includes a yard sale, a field day and a Friends dance in October. They discussed advertising, donation intake, and supplies needed for a July/August cookout and a Thanksgiving dinner scheduled for Nov. 22.

The meeting focused first on timelines and publicity: organizers said the yard sale needs flyers and broader outreach beyond the center newsletter, and that the Friends dance would be publicized after the yard sale. Volunteers identified local print outlets and flyer distribution as immediate tasks.

Fundraising and staffing logistics dominated the discussion. Committee members said donated items for the yard sale should exclude electronics and that some donated tools and furniture are already staged for sale. Volunteers also reviewed staffing for the cookout and field-day setup, including arrangements to transport tables, tents and baskets to the event site a day early to reduce on-site labor.

Organizers confirmed the Friends dance will be an October event with a 7–10 p.m. run and a cash bar; they said a DJ from the community has been hired and that a photo booth and light refreshments will be offered. Ticket sales will be promoted after the yard sale and the group plans to approach Councils on Aging and other local community groups for outreach.

The group set short action items: produce and distribute flyers, coordinate pickup of large donated items, confirm volunteers to transport supplies, and confirm food and plate/silverware orders for the cookout. No new policy or formal contracts were approved at the meeting.

Less-urgent promotional tasks include placing ads in regional outlets and assembling raffle “money trees” the friends plan to sell tickets for at upcoming events.