Plimouth Plantation to take part in Children's Hospital's Thanksgiving celebration

By Paul E. Kandarian  |  November 2, 2008

APPROPRIATE VISITORS ON THANKSGIVING: Plimoth Plantation will be part of Children's Hospital's Thanksgiving celebration this year in Boston, thanks to an anonymous donor.

Following a 10-day eBay fund-raising auction held by the living history museum in Plymouth, a bid of $5,000 won the package offering two costumed interpreters to go anywhere in the United States for the holiday. The donor, a Cape Cod businessman, chose Children's Hospital because one of his children had been seriously ill in the past and spent a month at the facility. The child is a teen now and doing fine, plantation officials said. The man said the bid was a way to "pay it forward," they said.

One of the interpreters is Shann Young of Plymouth, who portrays Edward Winslow. Young began as a volunteer at the museum at 17 and now, at 26, is an interpreter/artisan who specializes in construction of the nonprofit plantation's 17th-century style homes. Interpreting the role of Hobbomock will be Jonathan Perry, 31, a member of the Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe who has worked for 13 years at the plantation in the Wampanoag Indigenous Program. He left the plantation's employ in September to work for the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe as a senior cultural resource monitor in the tribe's historic preservation office.

The pair will visit Children's on Nov. 25.

"We appreciate the generosity of this donor who is lifting the spirits of our patients and their families during a difficult time by providing a deeper appreciation of the historical significance of Thanksgiving," said Michelle Davis, vice president for public affairs at Children's Hospital.

ON-THE-JOB EXCELLENCE: Harry Pickering, superintendent of the Middleborough Park Department, has been chosen for the Middleboro Rotary Club's Vocational Excellence Award, to be given at a dinner Wednesday at 6:15 p.m. at the Tuscan House restaurant in Middleborough. Tickets are $30 and reservations may be made through Dan Medeiros at 508-743-0901 or Ellen Grant at 508-947-0396.

HELPING A FAMILY IN TOUGH TIMES: Friends of the LeBlanc family of Rockland are hosting a benefit for Hannah LeBlanc Saturday from 7 p.m. to midnight at the Abington VFW hall, 30 Central St., Abington. The 3-year-old was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in August, and is undergoing a two-year treatment program at Children's Hospital in Boston and the Jimmy Fund Clinic. Tickets are $10 at the door. Donations also can be mailed to the Friends of Hannah LeBlanc, care of Rockland Federal Credit Union, 241 Union St., Rockland 02370. For more information, call 781-524-1015.

BUSINESS BRIEFS: Jeff Miller (below) has been named director of development at Caritas Good Samaritan Medical Center in Brockton. The New Bedford resident was formerly director of institutional placement at Quaglia Institute for Student Aspirations in Portland, Maine, and a former chief of philanthropy at St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford.

Cameron Markley of Marshfield has been named to the board of directors of the American Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay. Markley is a wealth management adviser for Merrill Lynch. She also chairs the finance committee for Trinity Church in Marshfield and is president of the board of directors for the Atlantic Symphony Orchestra.

Philip J. Kubat Jr. has been appointed as chief information officer at Ntirety Inc. of Dedham, a remote database administration company.

Tomas Gonzalez of Cranston, R.I., has been named director of dining services at Linden Ponds in Hingham, a retirement community.

Delta Capital Group of Plymouth has signed an agreement to become the regional developer for Massachusetts with Murphy Business & Financial Services, based in Clearwater, Fla. Delta partner John Gledhill said Murphy is one of the largest brokerage firms in the country.

Eric Johnson of Mansfield has been promoted to commercial loan officer at Bank of Canton, where he began work in 2005 as a credit analyst.

Geno's Great Foods & Spirits in Mansfield won the "Taste of Mansfield Best Soup Contest" at the Mansfield Music and Arts Society's Southern Massachusetts Arts Festival. Chef-owner John Spiezio's clam chowder was the winning entry.

Paul E. Kandarian can be reached at Kandarian@globe.com.