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Heart to Heart

The second annual Heart to Heart gala was staged Feb. 6 to benefit Rick’s Place, the Wilbraham-based organization, founded in honor of 9/11 victim Rick Thorpe, that provides support to grieving children and their families. At right, Shelly Bathe Lenn, left, executive director of Rick’s Place, prepares to draw the winning ticket for the grand prize in the raffle as board member Bill Scatolini and Jennifer Boudreau look on. Below, board members and administrators gather for a group photo. From left: Dr. Matt Haluch, Ken Tobias, Dan Sheehan, Amy Selvia-Smith, Carole Mangels (program coordinator), Brian Bracci, Bathe Lenn, Gina Kahn, Rick Hill, Mike Hassett, Glen Garvey, Tina Kuselias, Scatolini, Christina Cracci, and Mark Brannigan.

Camp Friendly’s

17-year-old Trevor Bynum of Springfield (left) says ‘thank you’ in American Sign Language to Friendly’s President and CEO Ned Lidvall. Lidvall recently welcomed Bynum to Friendly’s corporate office for the annual kickoff of Cones for Kids for Camp Friendly’s. Bynum is hearing-impaired and has benefited since he was a young child from Easter Seals Camp at Agassiz Village in Poland, Maine. Since 1981, Friendly’s has been raising money for Easter Seals so that kids with disabilities, like Trevor, can enjoy Camp Friendly’s programs. Friendly’s raised $144,000 in Massachusetts alone last year and ran its 2010 Cones for Kids program through Feb. 13 in every Friendly’s restaurant.