SHS Alumni Named As 2007 Spirit Of Shrewsbury Grand Marshals

The Spirit of Shrewsbury Fall Festival

Grand Marshal Nominating Committee

&

Past Grand Marshals

are pleased to announce the

2007 Grand Marshals

Eleven years ago, through the vision and imagination of three extraordinary Shrewsbury women, the Spirit of Shrewsbury Fall Festival was born. "Join the Spirit" is this year’s theme. With the theme in mind, the Committee felt it was appropriate that our founding mothers be honored for their "Spirit". Joyce Perreault, Sue Falzoi and Sue DiLeo are the proud "mamas" who have watched and helped their "brain-child" grow into the amazing fun-filled, spirited community event that is the annual fall festival of the town, which is shared by residents and beyond. Being the 2007 Grand Marshals, is the perfect way to say "thanks" for fostering the idea.

Maria Smith Linda Dahl

President Chairperson, Grand Marshal Committee

How did the first Spirit of Shrewsbury Fall Festival originate?

Joyce Bartlett Perreault

The first festival had a serendipitous beginning, because it was an unexpected outgrowth of a homecoming idea. The Shrewsbury High School Alumni Association was looking to plan a homecoming weekend. Joyce Perreault, then president of the Alumni Association, sent out thirty letters to a mix of school educators and community leaders to see if they were interested in a homecoming weekend.

Joyce Perreault and Sue Falzoi, along with other Alumni officers, attended that first meeting to brainstorm ideas for a homecoming weekend with other community members. Sue DiLeo, a school counselor, attended that initial meeting as well. Through the process of brainstorming and putting all of the various ideas down on paper, the group realized that they wanted something even grander than the original proposal. Unanticipated at the time, the homecoming idea grew and blossomed into a community fall festival weekend!

Sue DiLeo and Joyce Perreault offered to co-chair the first fall festival, and Sue Falzoi offered to do the publicity. The Alumni Association organized the homecoming piece of the weekend, but did not want to take on the responsibility of the entire fall festival. Therefore, the Spirit of Shrewsbury Organization put down its roots, and became a non-profit organization through the help of all its new members and some legal guidance from Chris Mehne.

Each year the festival changes with its own unique flavor, but the remarkable team of volunteers behind the scenes and the folks that come to enjoy it are what make it such a warm and welcoming community event each fall.

Sue (Donahue) Falzoi (SHS 1966), Sue (Sanders) DiLeo (SHS 1968) and Joyce (Bartlett) Perreault (SHS 1969) are the 2007 Grand Marshals of the Spirit of Shrewsbury Fall Festival.

Sue (Sanders) DiLeo

Born: November 14, 1950

Raised: Lifelong Shrewsbury resident

Educated:

· Shrewsbury Public Schools - SHS 1968

· UMASS, Amherst – Bachelor’s degree

· Worcester State College – Master’s degree in Counseling

· Fitchburg State College – Master’s degree in Special Education

Married to: Andy DiLeo, account manager for Kimberly Clark

Children: Joe DiLeo, Las Vegas, NV

Nikki DiLeo, Worcester, MA

Career: Presently - Guidance/Adjustment Counselor at Oak Middle

School, Shrewsbury

Special Educator at Shrewsbury High School

Career Counselor, Health Teacher,

YOU, Inc. - Worcester

Teacher - Millbury Public Schools

School Related Activities:

· Co-advisor to ELNA (Education Leadership for a Nonviolent Age) at the Middle School then Oak Middle School

Accomplishments of ELNA:

~Raised $4,000 for Katrina Relief Fund

~Raised $6,000 for Tsunami Relief Fund – Feed the Children

~Sponsored Martin Luther King, Jr. assembly and writing contest

~Raised $5,000 for an ark of animals for the Heifer Project

~Raised $2,000 for the Paul Lincoln Penny Drive

~Created Community Gift Drive where students collected toys and presents for less fortunate in area – St. Anne’s Human Services (9 yrs.)

~Created the MVP (Mentoring Volunteer Program) Shrewsbury’s

Version of Big Brother/Big Sister program with high school and middle school students

· Advisor to the Class of 1996 (4 yrs.)

· Helped create the Boosters for the SHS Crew Team to raise funds for shells and oars.

Volunteer community service:

Presently:

· Co-chair Relay for Life of Shrewsbury – American Cancer Society

Past Involvement:

· Soccer Coach – Shrewsbury Youth Soccer (10 yrs.)

· Coordinator of several age groups and board member of Shrewsbury Youth Soccer

· Helped raise $60,000 to build soccer fields at Municipal Drive

· Special Olympics Basketball Coach (2 yrs.)

· Spirit of Shrewsbury Fall Festival: First Co-Coordinator with Joyce Perreault, then President for 2 yrs.

Church affiliation:

Member of St. Mary of the Hills Church, Boylston

Past Involvement:

· St. Mary, Shrewsbury: taught CCD (4 yrs.)

Awards:

· Harry S. Cutting Award (2007) – Shrewsbury Youth and Family Services (with husband Andy)

· Rotary Club Community Leader of the Year (1998)

· Karyn Polito Inspirational Leader Award (2005)

· Worcester County Professional Guidance Association Award (2004)

· The Friends of the Retarded Award (1992)

Susan (Donahue) Falzoi

Born: June 2, 1948

Raised: Lifelong Shrewsbury resident

Educated:

· Shrewsbury Public Schools - SHS 1966

· Worcester State College - Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education

Married to: Thomas A. Falzoi, “happily retired” engineer from Metso Automation

Children: Laurie Falzoi Nichols, wife of David Nichols, Newton, MA

Debra Falzoi, Plymouth, MA

Curtis Falzoi, Venice, CA

Grandchildren: Dylan Nichols

Career: Public School Educator

· Presently

~Elementary Substitute Teacher – Northboro (25 yrs.)

~Teacher in Summer Enrichment Program – Northboro, Shrewsbury

(8 yrs.)

~Elementary School Tutor

· Taught in Shrewsbury, Northboro, Auburn and Worcester

· Substituted in Shrewsbury (18 yrs.)

Volunteer community service:

Presently:

· Spirit of Shrewsbury Fall Festival - Publicity Chmn. (9 yrs.)

· Donahue Rowing Center Advisory Council, Shrewsbury – Secretary (12 yrs.)

· Shrewsbury Historical Society – Publicity Chmn. (4 yrs.)

Past Involvement:

· Shrewsbury Child Development Committee (9 yrs.)

~Kindergarten screening (3 yrs.) ~Preschool tutor (2 yrs.)

· Speaking American - judge (2 yrs.)

· Shrewsbury’s 275^th Anniversary Committee - Publicity Chmn.

· Shrewsbury High School Alumni Association Council – 13 yrs.:

(Member of the original founding committee)

~President (5 yrs.)

~Vice-President (4 yrs.)

~Reunion Help Chmn. (13 yrs.)

~Publicity Chmn. (13 yrs.)

~Fundraising Chmn. (2 yrs.)

· Shrewsbury High School Class of 1966 – Reunion Chmn. (7 reunions)

· Shrewsbury Schools Music Association – Secretary (7 yrs.)

· Shrewsbury Citizens Advisory Group - (3 yrs.)

· Odyssey of the Mind: Judge (2 yrs.); Coach (3 yrs.)

· Shrewsbury Girl Scouts: Brownie Leader (3 yrs.); Registrar (3 yrs.)

· Shrewsbury Boy Scouts: Leader (2 yrs.)

Church affiliation:

Member of the First Congregational Church, Shrewsbury

Past Involvement:

· Church School Supt. (5 yrs.)

· Sunday School Teacher (4 yrs.)

· Primary & Intermediate Depts. Coordinator (10 yrs.)

· Chmn. of Christian Education Committee

Award:

· Karyn Polito Inspirational Leader Award (2005)

Joyce (Bartlett) Perreault

Born: November 27, 1951

Raised: Lifelong Shrewsbury resident

Educated:

· Shrewsbury Public Schools - SHS 1969

· Fitchburg State College - Bachelor’s degree

· Worcester State College - Master’s degree

· Dual Certification in Elementary and Special Education

Married to: Jack Perreault, Shrewsbury’s Town Engineer

Children: Jason, married to Amy Jordon, Sunday River, ME

Jonathan, married to Sarah Crossen, Shrewsbury, MA

Career: Presently - Special Education Teacher at Grafton Elementary

School

Grafton School District (18 yrs.)

Shrewsbury Schools (3 yrs.), and Sturbridge District (2 yrs.)

Home Business After-School Program, The Children’s Hour (3 yrs.)

Substituted in Shrewsbury (6 yrs.)

School Related Activities:

· Coached Odyssey of the Mind with husband Jack

· Wrote Alliance for Education grants to bring funds for a school wide recycling project and a school wide art exhibit

· Served on School Advisory Council

· Served on Five Year Master Plan Committee

Volunteer community service:

Presently: Volunteer for University of Massachusetts Walk to Cure Cancer

Past Involvement:

Spring St. School volunteer for many years:

· Helped to establish PTO

· PTO President, Secretary

· Newsletter Editor

· Enrichment Program Planner

· Co-coordinator of a Bob Leather’s playground which involved over one thousand volunteers and ten months of intensive planning to construct a playground like an old-fashioned barn raising

Served Terms of One to Five Years:

· Shrewsbury Citizen’s Advisory Group

· Shrewsbury Community Services

· Tri-School Exchange

· Town Meeting Member

· Shrewsbury High School Alumni Association: Former President and Treasurer

Spirit of Shrewsbury Fall Festival:

· First Co-Coordinator and first President, involved for many years

· Former Co-Coordinator of the Town Common Events with husband Jack for many years

Church affiliation:

Member of the First Congregational Church, Shrewsbury

Past Involvement:

· Sunday School Teacher

· Preschool Coordinator

· Member of the Board of Deacons

· Member of Hospitality Committee

Awards:

· Worcester Jaycees’ Outstanding Young Leader Award (1988)

· Rotary Club Community Leader of the Year (1998)

· Karyn Polito Inspirational Leader Award (2005)

Grand Marshal Criteria:

Show a record of volunteer community service

Be an outstanding citizen

Be well-known

Be directly associated with Shrewsbury

Bring pride and recognition to the Town of Shrewsbury