Snowmen melt hearts, benefit animal shelter
Morgan Saraceno with CJ Valente, who helped her with the project, in front of their prize-winning snowman at the Snowman Jubilee Viewing Party Saturday, Dec. 14. Photos by Anna Milton
The Freetown Lakeville Girl Scouts sang Christmas carols during the event. 
Lakeville Animal Control Officer David Frates thanks the community after receiving a $6200 check for the Lakeville Animal Shelter. 
One of the winners awarded in the kids category, created by Tori and Olivia Caswell. 
Aisling Richards’ snowman also made the top three spot in the kid’s category. 
Ninety snowmen are set up on the lawn next to the Old Lakeville Town Hall. 
Avery Smith, left, with brother Owen and mom Katrine look at a snowman. 
Saraceno and CJ Valente collect their prize basket. 
Drew Miller admires his snowman. 
A winner in the overall category, made by Divine Consign & Boutique in Lakeville. 
Kim Miller next to her Grinch-disguised-as-Santa creation.
Morgan Saraceno with CJ Valente, who helped her with the project, in front of their prize-winning snowman at the Snowman Jubilee Viewing Party Saturday, Dec. 14. Photos by Anna Milton
The Freetown Lakeville Girl Scouts sang Christmas carols during the event.
Lakeville Animal Control Officer David Frates thanks the community after receiving a $6200 check for the Lakeville Animal Shelter.
One of the winners awarded in the kids category, created by Tori and Olivia Caswell.
Aisling Richards’ snowman also made the top three spot in the kid’s category.
Ninety snowmen are set up on the lawn next to the Old Lakeville Town Hall.
Avery Smith, left, with brother Owen and mom Katrine look at a snowman.
Saraceno and CJ Valente collect their prize basket.
Drew Miller admires his snowman.
A winner in the overall category, made by Divine Consign & Boutique in Lakeville.
Kim Miller next to her Grinch-disguised-as-Santa creation.
LAKEVILLE — The Lakeville Animal Shelter received $12,400 in donations through the Snowman Jubilee Act of Kindness project sponsored by the Friends of the Lakeville Animal
Shelter.
A $6,200 dollar check was presented to the shelter Saturday, Dec. 14 during a viewing party that gave community members the chance to see decorated snowman made
from plastic cut-outs displayed on the Old Town Hall Lawn in Lakeville. Those funds were raised through individuals, families and 20 local corporate sponsors, who bought
the snowmen.
That $6,200 was later matched by an anonymous sponsor, Lakeville Select Board officials announced at the board’s Dec. 16 meeting.
The amount of money raised left event organizer Sue Spieler in awe. “I’m blown away by the generosity and enthusiasm of everybody. It’s more than anyone expected,” said
Spieler, who hopes to make this an annual fundraiser.
The idea for the fundraiser came after seeing the success of a similar event in Middleboro last year, said Spieler.
People of all ages participated in the project. Overall winners and winners of the kid’s category were announced, and each was presented with a prize basket during theviewing party.
Each snowman had a message of kindness written on the back.
The purpose of the event was to “bring the community together,” said Spieler. With “the way the world is,” she noted, “it’s important to spread kindness and
understanding.”
Making a snowman gave Morgan Saraceno, whose creation made the top three pick in the kid’s category, a chance to maximize her creativity and bond with friends and
family.
Saraceno’s snowman likely won because it gave viewers a good laugh, featuring a full head of hair made from a wig and a Fu Manchu, family members said. It won despitethe Fu Manchu losing its form after being exposed to the elements.
“It was fun. We had a bunch of random things in the house, [and] we just threw everything on there,” said Saraceno.
For Drew Miller, who also decorated a snowman, the best part was getting to sign his name on his artwork, he said. His mom Kim also put her artistic skills to work creating
her own snowman featuring a sneaky Grinch dressed up as Santa Claus.
“I wanted to do something creative and not your typical snowman,” Miller noted. For her, contributing to the fundraiser was about creating fun memories with her child
“and help[ing] the animal shelter.”
Event Date
