With two years to go to the town’s 300th anniversary, organizers of anniversary events for 2015 are asking residents to become a part of the celebration by joining a new Tolland 300 Club.
Residents who donate $300 toward the 2015 anniversary events will receive a special commemorative pin and early alerts about all events and projects.
Members of the Tolland 300 Club will also be listed on www.tolland300.org and in all promotional materials.
The 300th anniversary committee received the idea from David S. Joyce, a longtime Tolland resident and insurance business owner, who made the first $300 donation and urged other residents to do so.
“I thought this is such a big event in our town’s history, why not ask everyone to donate to be a part of it?’’ Joyce said. “I’m proud to be the first member of the Tolland 300 Club.”
Joyce will be honored for his donation and his idea by the town council on May 28 at 7:30 p.m. at town hall.
All of the donations will be used directly for Tolland 300th anniversary events being planned by the anniversary committee and its partner, the Tolland Historical Society. These include a special Charter Day celebration on May 12, 2015 – the actual 300th anniversary of the day the state voted to grant area landowners a charter to form our beloved town.
Other events include a gala on May 16, 2015, a commemorative program, a large regional parade and townwide picnic on Sept. 19, 2015 and a monument honoring Tolland’s settlers. The monument will honor the 59 early landowners who in May 1713 first petitioned the General Assembly to form their own town. The 300th anniversary committee hopes that all residents will be involved in this milestone.
“We thank Dave Joyce for his donation and his idea for the Tolland 300 Club,” Celeste Senechal, chairwoman of the committee, said. “We are planning an inclusive, townwide celebration and hope residents will consider making this one-time donation that will go directly toward our events.”
Checks should be made out to the Town of Tolland, with “300th anniversary committee” in the memo line. Donations can be mailed to the Town Manager’s office, Town Hall, 21 Tolland Green, Tolland, CT 06084.
For more information on the Tolland 300 club, contact committee secretary Kate Farrish at 860-871-8089 or at katefarrish@live.com.
For more information on the celebration, visit Tolland300.org or “like” the 300th Anniversary Celebration on Facebook.
