BeGinn Again - Ginn Playground Restoration Project in Winchester, MA

Yes its really open…. Now its time to CELEBRATE! Sunday April 28th 11-1pm

beginnagainproject — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 22:12:20 +0000

Given the events over this past week, wouldn’t it be nice to celebrate something positive. Well we have just the event. Come down to Ginn Field on Sunday April 28th from 11-1pm and celebrate the “opening” of the new Stone Family Playground. The beautiful new playground is representative of what Winchester and its residents can accomplish when we come together as a community. Come down to the playground on Sunday and try your musical talents on our marimba or metallophone or perhaps your climbing skills on our spider net. Maybe you have a budding sand sculpturist in your family and the sandbox with its digger is your thing. With the new basketball courts adjacent to the Stone Family Playground it truly is a great place to visit with the entire family. We will have refreshments, music, prizes and some fun family games at this event. We look forward to seeing you there.

Background…..
For those of you who are not familiar with the background on this project, following is a short summary of how this project started and thankfully finished.
After many wonderful years the old wooden playground at Ginn Field needed to be replaced. In the Fall of 2009 the Winchester Neighbors Club created the Committee to Restore the playground at Ginn Field. After many fundraising events and tireless volunteer hours, in June 2011, the Committee reached its fundraising goal and gave the town the necessary funds to complete a new playground. Unfortunately a new playground could not be built until after Winchester finished its flood mitigation project of widening the Aberjona River. Finally in late October 2012 the playground was finished and dedicated to the memory of the Stone Family. The Winchester Neighbors Club will still have a Playground Committee to help maintain the playground. If you are interested in participating in the occasional clean up of the playground or have some suggestions on playground improvements you can join this committee even if you are not a WNC member. Just contact Mary Ellen Rourke-Falvey at maryellenrourkefalvey@gmail.com. Now go play!

Status of the Playground at Ginn Field

beginnagainproject — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:51:45 +0000

At long last there is a new status to report about the status of the playground at Ginn Field. As many of you know we reached our fundraising goal last June and provided a check to the town of Winchester to build a new playground at Ginn Field. So the hard part is over. We are now just waiting for the town to complete the Aberjona River Widening Project. As you may have noticed there are currently giant piles of dirt on the site of the old playground. The river widening project has encountered some problems during the construction phase however the town still anticipates the playground will be in place sometime in June. However like any construction project, this timing could be altered by unforeseen circumstances experienced by the Aberjona River Widening Project. As soon as we have more information from the town, we will post it on this site. We plan to have an opening party as soon as we have a firm completion date. We truly appreciate all of your patience and support. Thank you!!!!

A Day to Remember……

beginnagainproject — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 19:25:25 +0000

Race to Remember Winners John Hinchion and Brittanny Boulanger

Despite uncooperative weather, “A Race to Remember” hosted by the Playground Restoration Project together with the Stone Family on Sunday, June 12 was a huge success with 400 runners and walkers from all over New England raising $15,000 for a memorial at Ginn Playground in honor of the Stone-Mortimer family. Donations for the event were made from as far away as Texas and Florida.
Reverend Thomas Brown from The Parish of the Epiphany began the dedication ceremony with a touching prayer about new beginnings. Debra Stone Sochat was visibly moved by the outpouring of support. She gracefully and tearfully thanked the community for coming out and celebrating the lives of her loved ones who will never be forgotten.

“I am touched to see the way the community has come together to support my family and to celebrate the lives of our lost loved ones,” said Debra Stone Sochat. “Ginn Playground was Charlotte and Finn’s favorite park and this would have meant so much to my sister,” continued Sochat.
Renowned opera singer Winchester resident Heather Poduska sang the national anthem while the local Girl Scouts proudly displayed the American flag. Representative Jason Lewis said a few words before running the race. Massachusetts District Attorney Martha Coakley and Channel 7’s Kim Khazei were among the runners.

Martha Coakley, Debra Stone-Sochat and Jason Lewis on Race Day

The rain did not dampen the spirits of the participants or the hundreds of spectators. Winchester residents came out along the course route to cheer on the runners and walkers. The men’s winner, John Hinchion of Peabody and close friend of the Stones, completed the race with a time of 20:29 (pace: 5:42) and the women’s winner Brittany Boulanger of Winchester ran it in 23:42 (pace: 6:36).
Many local organizations formed teams to run or walk including the Neighborhood Cooperative Nursery School with more than a dozen people walking, running and navigating strollers in “Listen. Be Kind. Do Your Best.” team t shirts.
Following the 3.6 mile race, nearly 100 children participated in the “Kids Fun Run” on Ginn Field and every young athlete received a medal. The post race celebration featured Pixie Sticks from Arlington playing family friendly music as well as food, face painting and games.

The platinum sponsors for the race were LEAP School in Lexington, Patriot Energy Group in Woburn and Peterson Party Center. Silver Sponsors were Pediatricians Inc. and Shanahan Real Estate Group. Bronze Sponsors were BookEnds, Kids Footstop, Mahoney’s Garden Center, United Methodist Nursery School, and the Winchester Police Relief Association.
“This event is the culmination of years of work on behalf of the entire Winchester community to revitalize Ginn Playground. We are so pleased to be able to create a permanent memorial to the Stone family,” said Ginn project chairwoman Mary Ellen Rourke-Falvey.
The top runners in each age category follow. If you want to view your race results/placement please click on the following link to view. http://www.coolrunning.com/results/11/ma/Jun12_ARacet_set1.shtml

Overall Female: Brittany Boulanger, Winchester, time: 23:44
Male: John Hinchion, Peabody, time: 20:30

Under 19: M, Nathan Frappier, Feeding Hills 28:37 F, Cynthia Mahoney, Winchester, 34:08

20-29: M, Darren Pitzner, Wilimington 24:18 F, Ann Ferracane, Boston 32:33

30 – 39 (Overall Winners came from this category)
M (so 2nd after overall), Ryan Hayes, Woburn 21:24
F (“) Rebecca Trachsel, Winch, 24:28

40-49
M Michael Quinn, Arlington 23:05
F Kirsten Healey, Winch 27:57

50-59
M Jim Gallant, Medford 28:40
F Elizabeth Jerant, Winch 29:58

60+
M John Grant Medford 32:05
F Dot Butler

Race To Remember – Race Details

beginnagainproject — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 16:43:16 +0000

Race Day, Sunday June 12th, is fast approaching and Winchester seems all abuzz about the race. Right now the weather looks like it will be perfect running/walking weather in the mid to high 60s. It will be a great outing for kids and adults of all ages. Post race we will have live music courtesy of the Pixie Sticks of Arlington, free carnival games, face painting and food will all be part of the days celebration. Following are more race day details:

REGISTRATION Online registration is now closed. Runners and Walkers will have one more chance to pre-register for $25. We will be at Winchester’s Farmers Market this Saturday June 11th from 9:30-1:30. Registration day of race will be $30 from 7:30-8:30 (cash and check only).

WEATHER : This is a Rain or Shine event so if you are worried about the weather please be prepared.

BIB PICK UP – For all pre-registered runners/walkers you can pick up your bibs Saturday June 11th at the Greater Boston Running Company in Lexington 1844 Mass Ave(this is a change from the Winchester Farmers Market) or day of the race in the pre-registration table.

TIME OF THE RACE Runners will line up at 9:00 and the race will begin at 9:15. Walkers will begin at
9:30.

RUNNERS ONLY: The 3.6 mile course will be chip timed. There will be prizes given out to the top male female and in the following age categories: 25 and under; 0 – 25; 26 – 35; 36 – 45; 46 – 55; 55+

KIDS FUN RUN Parents can register their children for the Kids Fun Run (50 and 100 yd dashes) from 7:30-10:15 the day of the race. The Fun Runs will begin at 10:30. Registration is $5. Children will be grouped by age and sex. All children will receive a prize for entering these races. The age groups will be broken out as follows 3-4 5-6 7-8 and 9-10.

RACE COURSE: The race will begin and end at Ginn Field. Participants will begin on Bacon continue to Fletcher, then onto Palmer St. to Middlesex St. down to Canal St., then to Main Street continue on Church St. back onto Bacon Street and onto Ginn.

DIRECTIONS: The official Address for Ginn Field is 35 Waterfield Rd. Winchester, MA. The race will begin at Ginn Field which is right off of Bacon Street in Winchester. (There will be a big tent and hopefully enough signs so you know where you are going.)

PARKING: you will not be able to park down at Ginn day of the race. The closest parking lots available are the parking lots at the Winchester Wedgemere Train Station or in the upper Aberjona parking lot (near the other train station) in the center of town.

QUESTIONS:- Please email contact@beginnagain.com if you have any last minute questions.

The Stone Family and the Ginn Playground Restoration Project Announce “A Race to Remember”

beginnagainproject — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 01:40:41 +0000

The Ginn Playground Restoration Project together with the Stone Family will host “A Race to Remember” on Sunday, June 12, 2011 to celebrate the lives of Charlotte Mortimer, Finn Mortimer, Laura Stone-Mortimer, and Ragna Ellen Stone. Funds raised from “A Race to Remember” will be used to build a memorial at Ginn Playground in honor of the deceased members of the Stone-Mortimer family. A lifetime resident of Winchester, Laura Stone -Mortimer was an avid runner and the playground at Ginn Field was her children Finn and Charlotte’s favorite playground so a race at the park is a symbolic a way to pay tribute to the family.

The road race will begin at 9:15 am and will include a 3.6 mile Run/Walk as well as a 50 yd and 100 yd Kids Fun Run beginning and ending at Ginn Field. All runners will be chip timed. The pre-registration fee is $25 for individuals with 100 percent of the proceeds going towards the park and memorial. The first 300 people to register will receive a t-shirt. Following “A Race to Remember” will be a celebration at Ginn Field with the Pixie Sticks of Arlington playing family friendly music, carnival games, food and local VIPs. To register for the race, click the button to the left. Day of registration begins at 7:30-8:30 and the cost is $30. Online registration will end on June 5th.
The Ginn Playground Restoration Project is a collaborative effort started in Fall 2009 by Winchester residents to rebuild Ginn Playground. The project just needs an additional $20,000 to complete fundraising and complete a new playground in the Fall of 2011. Ginn Playground Restoration Project is a non-profit 501 (c) (3), all donations are tax deductible.

If you want to volunteer to help with this race we are looking for volunteers to man water stations, help register runners/walkers, and hand out the children’s medals. Please email Jen O’Connell at ginnparkrace@gmail.com to get more information or to volunteer.

If you cannot attend the race but want to contribute to the Race to Remember please click the Donate button below. All contributions are tax deductible.

To my darling Finn and Charlotte,

I took your hands once and you walked with me
Down a place no longer to see

I took your feet once and showed you the way
Until someone, somehow took you away

I made you laugh once as you did me
Let’s run together today in “A Race to Remember”

Walk with me little Charlie, let me see all you can be
Let me love you Finn, show me how

Run with me Charlie, run with us Finn
Let us all begin again

Begin Again at Ginn

Love,
Aunt Debbie

Just another $30,000 needed to complete playground!

beginnagainproject — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 17:21:56 +0000

Our January/February events we are a huge success. If you in missed any of these events here is a quick update….
The Klubhouse was packed with young and the young at heart supportng Ginn. Some of the older elementary school parents and children were out in force to see Despicable Me at the Next Door Theatre. Next up was the Blackhorse Tavern. Even though this event had to be postponed from its original date people were more than happy to come out of the cold, listen to some great music and share a beer with fellow Ginn Playground supporters. The fabulous raffle items didn’t hurt either with Rolling Rock Snowboard and a signed Bruins Jersey signed by Bruins Team captain donated by Anheuser Busch (ie. Dan Courtney), 4 tickets to a Celtics game donated by the Marianis, a fabulous NYC weekend getaway donated by the O’Donnells and various other aucition items that the winners were more than happy to walk away with. Last but not least was the incredible 1st year anniversary party the Parsons threw for Parsons Table with proceeds benefiting Ginn Playground. This was a great night with terrific food, drinks and company. Collectively, these events raised over $5000 for Ginn. A great big thank you to the Next Door Theatre, Megan and Chris Parsons, Tanja and Nick (Klubhouse) and the Kim and Jim Covino (the Blackhorse Tavern) for their support. A huge thank you also to Maura and Gene Fredey who threw a Poker night at their home and raised over $1500 for the play. We are so close to finishing the playground. If you still haven’t donated please consider adding your name to the hundreds of families who have helped rebuild this playground through their financial support. Please click on the Donate Here button.

Upcoming Events – Our last big fundraising event will be a 5K race on June 12th to honor the Stone-Mortimer family. All monies raised will be used to dedicate a portion of the playground in their honor. More details will follow in the coming months but this will be a terrific family event in which everyone can participate. Running races, games, music and food.

If you have any questions or want to volunteer for the race please email Mary Ellen Rourke-Falvey at maryellenandpeter@verizon.net.

We can beGINN again!!!

Come out of the cold for these fun family events and support Ginn Playground

beginnagainproject — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 19:09:53 +0000

Wednesday ~~February 2nd~~ POSTPONED TO WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 16 5:00-10pm – Blackhorse Fundraiser for Ginn Playground
DUE TO THE INCLEMENT WEATHER THE BLACKHORSE FUNDRAISER ON FEBRUARY 2ND HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO FEBRUARY 16TH. Treat the family or just yourself with a night out and come celebrate Ginn Playground’s Breaking Ground Milestone. That’s right we have raised over $240,000 which is enough money to break ground on a new playground. Come raise your glass and enjoy the rocking band that will be there to help kick start the evening’s celebration. Since Ginn still needs another $35,000 to finish the playground, the Blackhorse Tavern has generously donated an evening to Ginn Playground with a portion of the proceeds to benefit Ginn.

Thursday February 3rd- 9am-12pm Klubhouse Supporting Ginn Playground

On Thursday February 3rd from 9am-12pm come in out of the cold and let the kids run out all of their pent up energy in the creative, clean, fun play space the Klubhouse in Woburn’s Cummings Park has created for kids of all ages. If you have not visited the Klubhouse yet, this is the perfect opportunity to check it out and support a great cause with entrance fees from this morning’s festivities being contributed to the Ginn Playground Restoration Project. Date 2/3/11 Time: 9am-12pm Location Klubhouse 90 Cummings Park Woburn 781-937-5582.

If you have questions regarding any of these events please email contact@beginnagain.com

We did it!!!

beginnagainproject — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 18:59:01 +0000

Yes we did it!! We were able to raise the $245,000 needed to break ground on a new Ginn Playground! This is a huge milestone and we could not have accomplished this significant goal without the support of neighbors, friends and businesses. THANK YOU!

While this milestone is significant we still need to raise an additional $35,000 to finish the playground. You can still make a donation. Please click on the Donate Here Button. All contributions large and small make a difference. We will BeGINN AGAIN!!

For those of you who missed the Holiday House Tour in early December here is a recap.

On December 5, 2010, the weather was beautiful albeit a little chilly when over 300 people came out to stroll the Flats and get inspired by the holiday decorations which adorned 4 beautiful homes in the neighborhood. This event raised over $5300 for the Ginn Playground Restoration Project. We could not have raised as much money as we did with the Holiday House Tour without the significant help received from Fino Fresh Floral which created numerous floral masterpieces or several of the homes. McCues of Woburn and Stems of Winchester also contributed beautiful greens and flower arrangements which went a long way towards creating the festive environment. The Wooden Crate donated extra special tasty goodies for our raffle and R.J Carroll of the Piano Studio entertained visitors with jazz and holiday favorites at the magnificent Church Street home and kept the crowd in a jolly mood. And last but not least a huge thank you to the four homeowners who really went the extra mile and inspired all who attended.

Holiday House Tour

beginnagainproject — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 02:31:33 +0000

Sunday December 5th ( 2pm-6pm) – Flats Holiday House Tour to Benefit the Ginn Playground Restoration Project.
Please join us for a fabulous afternoon strolling the Flats and getting in the holiday mood. Four beautiful homes (addresses are below), all within walking distance of each other, will be decorated to the nines with the help of Fino Fresh Floral Design, Living Livelier, McCues Garden Center and Stems Floral Design Studio. Come by for a relaxing afternoon out with friends and get inspired before the craziness of the holiday season sets in. Refreshments will be available and R.J. Carroll of the Piano Studio will entertain attendees with relaxing jazz and holiday tunes. Children 12 and older are welcome.

Tickets are $20 in advance at an Elegant Affair, BookEnds and online below. Tickets will also be available on the day of the event for $25 at 37 Calumet Rd. If you make a contribution of $100 or more between now and December 5th you will receive two free tickets. Just click on the Donate Here button. Please email us at contact@beginnagain.com if you have any questions. If you purchase tickets online or make a $100 donation online or to the PO Box between December 1st and December 5th you can pick up your tickets at 37 Calumet Rd on December 5th. You can also make a $100 donation at the door and still receive 2 tickets on the day of the event.

Houses on the Tour are:
37 Calumet Rd.
3 Willow St.
37 Wildwood St.
121 Church St.

Tickets in advance are $20 each. Click Here to buy your tickets through PayPal now.

$200,000 and Counting!

beginnagainproject — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 04:04:34 +0000

Well we have been working really hard and it is paying off. We officially passed the $200,000 milestone which represents 2/3rds of the cost of the playground. Another $40,000 and we can break ground and start putting in place a new playground. Now we are looking to YOU to help us rebuild Winchester’s ONLY in town playground. Please help us make this playground a reality by contributing online today!

If you contribute $100 or more between now and December 4th you will receive 2 tickets to our December 5th Flats Holiday House Tour. (Each ticket valued at $20). You can make a secure tax deductible online donation today , including a brick or fence post donation. Just click the Donate Here button on the side of this page. If you want an engraved brick or fence post just let us know what you want engraved on the brick or fence post in the notes section on PayPal.

For those of you who missed the numerous events we planned in September following is a summary of all of our activities and some great pictures from each activity.

* 2nd Annual Autumn Festival to benefit Ginn Playground – October 2nd 2010
Once again this was a very popular event with many families in town. It was an unbelievably beautiful Fall Day after many days of rain. The perfect setting to welcome families back to Ginn Playground and to highlight the need to fix Winchester’s only in town playground. Kidstock’s Maryjane Mullins kicked off the festivities by entertaining both the young and old with some terrific storytelling. The dynamic duo of Meredith and Chris Thompson accompanied by Adam Oleen on bass kept the crowd on its feet. Although they were a tough act to follow, Phil Ayoub and Adam did a great job at keeping the kids and parents engaged. The party kept rocking until 1:30 when the kids and parents couldn’t dance anymore. Given that we raised over $6,800 from the day is evidence of the terrific energy surrounding the day and the support the community demonstrated for this important community project.

When everyone wasn’t grooving to the tunes, they were busy creating Fall masterpieces from the sugar pumpkins generously donated by Warner Farms, a Winchester Farmers Market favorite and home of 8 Acres of Corn Art (you have to see it to believe it) in Sunderland, MA. If the kids got a little hungry the sipped from their cider slushy and then visited the enormously popular donut eating contest. Volunteers cleverly disguised the empty and abandoned swings at Ginn by festively decorating them with over 100 donuts donated by the Dunkin Donuts on Main Street and the Dunkins on Cambridge Street. Of course the other carnival games manned by Winchester High School’s Commit and Connect volunteers were a huge hit with children scrambling over hay bales to win their gold medal or pitching at our very own scarecrow at top speed. Dan O’Connell of the Winchester Police Department graciously lugged a speed monitor down to the field so an aspiring Josh Beckett could knock the stuffing out of our scarecrow. FAN and Six Seeds were a great addition to the day as families joined together to assemble and personalize care packages for someone in need. Add a bit of creative juice via our exceedingly talented face painters, Julie Tempesta and Candy Gatti, and you have a day to remember. Thank you to everyone who attended and volunteered.

* 2nd Annual Gently used Children’s Clothing Sale – Saturday September 25th
Somehow we topped last year’s tally by taking in $4,200 net proceeds from the sale of beautiful, gently used Children’s clothes. People were happy to have a motivating event that made them clean out their kids clothes and toy bins and give back to a good cause at the same time. On the other side buyers were thrilled to be able to outfit their entire family for a fraction of the cost and at the same time give back to this important community project. It was a win win for everyone and given the positive reaction we have decided to make this an annual event to benefit Ginn Playground. Proceeds will be used to maintain the playground and to start a seed fund for the next restoration 20+ years from now. So keep your clothing donations coming! We will do a clothing pick up in the Spring and the Fall. This event could not have been as successful as it was without the very generous clothing and toy donations made by our friends and neighbors. Thank you so much for giving back.

* Whole Foods – 5% Community Support Day – Tuesday September 21st
Winchester neighbors and friends came out in droves to shop locally and support Ginn Playground. Over 1,600 people visited the store that day generating $3,100 for Ginn Playground. A huge thanks to Whole Foods Market in Woburn which gave so generously to this community project. Local businesses like Whole Foods in Woburn are the ones who are making a difference in this community. Visit our Sponsor Page to see what other local businesses are giving back to Winchester. Please keep them in mind when you are making your shopping decisions.

*Storybook Workshop’s A Very Fun Fundraiser – Saturday September 18th
The September 18th Storybook Workshop Event that Tina Moran created for the Ginn Playground Restoration Project kicked off our Fall fundraising events. It was an amazing day starting with the arrival of the adorable and squishable Very Hungry Caterpillar. The day just got better for all of the tiny attendees, as they created cocoons during Music and Movement and then emerged as beautiful caterpillars during the engaging storytelling sessions. The children then used their imagination to create their own Eric Carle like masterpieces. This wonderful event raised $3,500 for the Ginn Playground Restoration Project. This day would not have been made possible without the very generous donations made by Fay Matteucci of Tree House Media who created the beautiful posters and Scott Davis of Web Mason who printed them, Liz Warrick, a certified parenting coach, who donated the caterpillar costume, The United Methodist Church donated the space, United Methodist Nursery School donated the art materials, Wanda Vitti created the adorable Eric Carle aprons, Mike Mishelly from Pywell Contracting who together with Stephanie Murray created the caterpillar, the volunteers from Connect and Commit who mastered the caterpillar costume and last but not least the number of other volunteers who made the day so special.