Community
When the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals closed the doors of the Katharine M. Foote memorial shelter in Edgartown in May, the Island was introduced to a new but financially pinched place for homeless critters. Home to two dogs, two kittens and five cats, the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard feeds off limited funds from the county and towns.
Victor Hugo once said, “There is nothing like a dream to create the future.”
For 30 years Martha’s Vineyard Community Services has quite literally been counting on dreams to ensure the future of the Island residents who depend on the care it provides.
Since 1979, the Possible Dreams Auction has been one of the most successful fund-raising events held on the Island, offering bidders the chance to score a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and to help the core of the Island community at the same time.
The fifth annual African American Cultural Festival sponsored by The Cottagers, Inc. of Martha’s Vineyard will be held on Friday, July 31, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in Hartford Park in Oak Bluffs. It is free and open to all.
The festival will feature Cottager history and Vineyard family stories, an African American marketplace, mini talks on history and culture, activities for children, nonprofit services booths, belly dancing and decoupage workshops, and food by Chef Deon.
The Vineyard recently received an honored guest and a living historical figure to its shores. On Wednesday, the Honorable Marie-Laurence Jocelyn Lassegue, Haiti’s minister of women’s affairs and rights since 2006, came to serve as guest of honor at a weekend-long celebration of solidarity between the island of Hispaniola and Martha’s Vineyard, sponsored by the Vineyard organizations Peacequilts and MV Fish Farm for Haiti.
On Saturday, August 1, Curt and Ida Gear will host their second annual fundraiser for AHEAD (Adventures in Health, Education and Agricultural Developments), Inc at their home in Oak Bluffs. The soirée will go from 4 to 8 p.m. with food, drinks and music.
Corn Maze
Surprise your friends and lose your enemies in the Farm Institute’s corn maze. Covering five acres in Katama, the maze is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Cost is $10 for those over 15 years old, $5 for ages 3 to 14, and free for kids two and under. For details, call 508-627-7007, or visit farminstitute.org.