Goffstown 250th Anniversary Committee
Everyone knows that planning a good party takes time and effort, and lots of work. If you are going to plan the party to beat all parties, you know right off the bat you’ll be needing a helping hand from everyone involved. You might also be hoping to make some helpful new friends along the way. If you are planning a party so big that it’ll take a full year to celebrate start to finish, you’ll definitely be hoping that everyone in town, big and small, old and young, will step up to lend a helping hand.
The Goffstown 250th Anniversary Committee is planning just such a party. The Village of Goffstown was incorporated in 1761, and 50 years later there were still only 2,000 people living here. Certainly not enough to plan a special anniversary party. 250 years later there are almost 18,000 people living in Goffstown, and if we all pull together we can have ourselves one memorable year-long celebration!
From January to December in 2011, Goffstown will be pulling out all the stops to commemorate our remarkable home town. There have already been several meetings held to discuss different events and possibilities. Suggestions have included a big parade with floats and music, a family fair especially for the kids, winter events such as Goffstown First Night, and even a Grand Finale Gala! With an emphasis on historic education and celebration, we also hope to include a legacy for our children that this town is a special town, with a unique history and a dynamic future. Our community organizations are busy considering how they can include their annual events in this anniversary celebration. Local churches will be lending a hand, as well as the Class of 2011 at Goffstown High School. You can count on seeing many of your neighbors on planning committees and fundraising teams.
A town’s 250th anniversary-a quarter of a millennium-is a tremendous milestone. Nobody will want to miss out on being part of such an historic event. There will be opportunities for everyone to get involved, from the smallest elementary school child to the residents of The Hill, everyone will be able to contribute. There are decisions to be made, money to be raised, events to be organized. And since we’ve only got 30 months to plan, we need to get busy!
The Goffstown 250th Anniversary Committee would like to invite everyone interested in joining the team to attend their next meeting, on September 4 at 6:30 p.m. at Grasmere Town Hall. If you already belong to a community organization, consider sending a representative to this meeting to learn more about what’s already being planned. If you are a community member who has been waiting for the right time to volunteer, this would be that time! It won’t matter what your skill or interest, there will be a place for you that will ensure you’ll meet some great new people and enjoy the heck out of yourself as you lend a hand to this once-in-a-lifetime event. If you are interested but not ready to commit yourself, that’s okay too, because you’ll find updates about the planning process in the Neighborhood News, the Goffstown Edge, and GTV Channel 16. You can jump in when you are ready, or send a donation and then enjoy the fantastic parties and events in 2011.
The Goffstown 250th Anniversary will be a once-in-a-lifetime event for all of us here in Goffstown, Grasmere, and Pinardville. Something this special should not be allowed to simply go by as just another day, just another year. How many towns outside New England can say they’ve been a living, breathing community for 250 years? Goffstown is a great place with great people and a great story. Here’s your opportunity to become part of that story yourself!
