Burlington is coming together for the sake of a small community in Texas following the devastation left by Hurricane Harvey. Saint Malachy Parish on Bedford Street is organizing a fundraiser for the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Fannett, TX, where nearly half of the town’s 500 households were flooded. The fundraising goal is to send at least 200 gifts of $100 to the families of Fannett, as well as a note from each donor and a mug filled with cookies. All proceeds from the event will go directly to the people of Fannett. Participants in the fundraiser will also receive a mug of cookies for donating.
The fundraiser has been spearheaded by Rev. John Capuci, the pastor of the St. Malachy parish since 2008. Capuci was living in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. Once he heard about the destruction the people of Texas experienced, he knew he had to do something. He contacted his colleague, Rev. John McClintock, who pastors St. Mary’s parish in Fannett and will help distribute the fundraising gifts to the families who need it.
There will also be a silent auction with 30 items up for bidding, including:
- Tickets to a post-season Red Sox game
- 9-course meal for 6 (cooked by Rev. Capuci)
- T-shirt autographed by former New England Patriot Tedy Bruschi
Fannett sits just outside of Beaumont, located downriver from Lake Conroe. Some of the worst flooding from Hurricane Harvey occurred as an indirect result of the rain, when Lake Conroe Dam released 2 billion gallons of water an hour in order to keep the lake from overfilling. The massive runoff caused the river to burst its banks, flooding cities all along the river. Fannett was one of those cities.
The fundraiser is happening Saturday, September 30 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm.
Saint Malachy’s is located at the following address:
99 Bedford St.
Burlington, MA 01803
For more information about the fundraiser, call (781) 272-5111.