Community center fundraising progresses slowly
By Diane Beaudoin Journal Correspondent

The Community Center has been designed and now the committee is working to raise $100,000 that is needed for construction. Courtesy Photo

The Bresnahan Scouting and Community Center Building Committee is making progress in raising funds to build a new community center in Ashburnham, and will be continuing on in their quest.

Chairman Ron Skaife said to date they have raised $21,000 toward their goal of $100,000 to get construction underway.

"We have done a lot of this fundraising through raffles," Skaife said.

He said the current building that has been used for a community center has been deemed unsafe. The local Boy Scouts use the building for their meetings.

"It's an old building and having a community center in town for everyone to use would be perfect," Skaife said.

The William J. Bresnahan Memorial Committee, in conjunction with area veterans, is working to create a new memorial to honor William J. Bresnahan, was an Ashburnham man who died in Vietnam while serving as a Marine.

The center will include a picnic area and wooded walking paths, and serve as a play place for children.

Skaife said when the money is set, students from Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School will handle construction.

Skaife said his committee got a surprise when they found out they will receive some of the profit of local book sales, courtesy of Louise Reid.

"We just learned that, and it's wonderful," he said.

The committee is now conducting a raffle for a stay at the Colonial Inn in Gardner, which includes the room, dinner and breakfast for the two lucky winners.

"We will be doing an Easter raffle for an entire Easter dinner and others during the year," Skaife said. "We have some good ideas going and we are going to do the food at Ashburnham Days later this year, too."

He said the committee is doing the work on its own and accepts donations.

"We really need a community center in town that can be used by the seniors, the scouts, and everyone in between," he said. The committee's 10 members meet on the second Saturday morning of each month.