The 20th Annual Framingham High School Foundation ''Salute to Framingham'' will be held on Thursday, March 22nd, 2012 at the Sheraton Framingham.

FRAMINGHAM, MA - The Framingham High School Foundation has announced the 20th Annual Salute to Framingham honorees.

In 1992, the Salute to Framingham was created to honor individuals for their outstanding commitment and service to Framingham's youth. These honorees join a select group of people who have made a real difference in the lives of the children of Framingham.

On Thursday, March 22nd 2012, Salute to Framingham will honor Mark & Karen Curtis and Dave Gudejko.

Since 1989, Mark and Karen Curtis have been sponsoring a free Thanksgiving Day dinner for those in need. With the help of volunteers, Mark and Karen Curtis have prepared and served traditional Thanksgiving meals to thousands of needy families for more than two decades. Last year, at the "Curtis Family Thanksgiving", nearly 1,700 people had a free, hot Thanksgiving dinner either delivered to their door or served to them at Eagles Hall in Framingham.

The annual Curtis Family Thanksgiving dinner brings together more than 400 members of the community including local business owners, Framingham Girl Scouts, students from Fuller Middle School and Framingham High School and members of Framingham Youth Hockey who donate supplies, money or their time to follow the example that Mark and Karen Curtis have set for the last 23 years.

As owners/operators of the Eagles All-American Grill, the Curtis' service to the Framingham community continues year round with service to senior residents of Memorial House and the Callahan Senior Center. Through the years, Mark & Karen Curtis have been also a part of community family events ranging from Concerts on the Common to the groundbreaking at Bowditch Field.

Dave Gudejko has been involved in the town of Framingham since moving here in 1978. For almost three decades, Dave has been active in Framingham Baseball in many capacities including serving as president of both Little League and Framingham Babe Ruth. He has coached, chaired many fundraising activities and answered the call whenever he was asked. In addition, Dave worked closely with Framingham Parks and Recreation Department as field liaison where he scheduled fields for more than 1,000 players.

For many years, Dave volunteered to get up before sunrise on cold Sunday mornings to make sure that the kids got safely onto buses to enjoy the Framingham Parks and Recreation department's ski and snowboard program. That same attitude and spirit was brought to the Marian Boosters when as past president he helped shape that organization. Additionally, Dave has coached CYO basketball and administered many youth programs through St. Bridget's CYO including community outreach programs, ski trips and bowling.

This year, the Salute to Framingham will present the Jim O'Connor Community Service Award to the Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation. Named for former FHS Athletic Director and founder of the Salute to Framingham, this award honors an organization whose work benefits the youth of Framingham. The Framingham Co-operative Bank Charitable Foundation was established by Framingham Co-operative Bank in 1998 as a reflection of its long-standing commitment to the local community.

In addition to these honorees, the Salute program also recognizes Framingham teachers and staff who make each day "special" in our public schools, and also acknowledges graduating FHS students who positively impact the school community.

The 2012 "You Are Special" recipients are:

• Rebecca Morrison, Barbieri Elementary
• Sharon Silverman, Brophy Elementary
• Deb Hobin, Brophy Elementary
• Elizabeth Jeffery, Dunning Elementary
• Heather Degnan, McCarthy Elementary
• Miriam Lapa Silva, Potter Road Elementary
• Jill Coates,  Potter Road Elementary
• Kerri O'Brien, Stapleton Elementary
• Deb Phillips, Cameron Middle School
• Lisa Columbo, Fuller Middle School
• Vanda Figueiredo, Fuller Middle School
• Otto Johnson, Walsh Middle School
• Nancy Hulme, Walsh Middle School
• Susan DeSimone, FHS
• Janice Laakko, FHS
• Jayne Carney, Special Education Department
• Literacy Program, Woodrow Wilson Elementary - honoring the entire team at Woodrow Wilson for their work with the school-wide vocabulary intiative.

The Salute to Framingham will take place on Thursday, March 22nd at 6:00pm at the Sheraton Framingham Ballroom.

Complete details and ticket information are available at www.salute-to-framingham.com

Proceeds from the Salute to Framingham benefit the Framingham High School Foundation. All proceeds from the event are used to benefit FHS students by supporting activities, the arts, and athletics at the school.

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