8 August, 2019
In the below video, I sat down with Kathy Kilduff and Curran Leahy-Lonigro to talk about the Lauren Anderson Memorial Fundraiser.
“A sparkle.” That is how people who knew Lauren Anderson would have described her. Lauren and her family – parents Riki and Bob and sisters Amy and Julie - moved to Hopkinton in 1983. They quickly embraced the advantages of living in a small, family-oriented town of what was then about 6,000 people.
LAUREN’S STORY
Lauren was five years old when she arrived in Hopkinton. According to her mother, Riki, from a young age, Lauren was always determined, set goals for herself and achieved those goals through perseverance.
Over the years, she became an excellent student, high school cheerleader and softball player and champion equestrian. She was going places with her positive attitude, energy and determination. And her sparkling personality endeared her to so many people.
On November 30,1994, things changed dramatically. While riding her favorite horse, Pete, Lauren suffered a serious accident that ended in her death. Her sparkle was lost.
This tragedy devastated Lauren’s family. It also touched her friends, classmates, neighbors, and the entire community. And the town of Hopkinton reached out to those who knew Lauren best in all the ways you would expect a close-knit community would do.
But Hopkinton was not finished. To keep Lauren’s spirit and sparkle alive, volunteers organized a campaign to purchase a scoreboard for Softball Field #6. High school sports teams, led by a Captains’ Council, raised funds. A high school teacher ran the Boston Marathon and solicited pledges. Thanks to these grassroot efforts, the Lauren Anderson Memorial Scoreboard was dedicated to her memory in 2001.
LAUREN ANDERSON MEMORIAL FUNDRAISER
2019 marks the 25th anniversary of Lauren’s death. What better way to remember Lauren than by supporting the sport she loved. Today Field #6 at Hopkinton High School is used by the middle school, junior varsity and varsity softball teams, the Women’s Softball League and Parks and Recreation League, that include children and grandchildren of Lauren’s friends and neighbors. But it needs some upgrades, including a digital scoreboard, dugouts, bleachers and a warning track. A fundraising project is underway to update Field #6 – and you can help. Our goal is to match the quality of the other HHS fields.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
This project needs your help. Contact Kathy Kilduff via email at cicitto@msn.com or cell (508-596-8458) for more information on this special project.
Donate to the Lauren Anderson Memorial Field Restoration Project.
Checks should be made payable to the Hopkinton Boosters and mailed to:
Lauren Anderson Field Restoration Project
P.O. Box 820
Hopkinton, MA 01748
Please add Lauren Anderson Field Restoration Project in the memo field on your check
OR
Here is a link that can be used to donate via PAYPAL.
Please add Lauren Anderson Field Restoration Project in the Add Notes field
Note 1: To make an Anonymous donation, please call Kathy Kilduff at (508-596-8458) for more information.
Note 2: All donations are tax deductible.
Volunteer your time and energy to clean up Field #6.
Offer your special skill or service: technology, electrical, landscaping, etc.
Spread the word to others.
Help continue the tradition of volunteerism for which Hopkinton is known. Help carry on that small-town spirit. Help keep Lauren’s sparkle alive."
