Search results matching tag 'charity'

Communities gear up to help those in need

Bedford Editor — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:45:00 GMT

BY SUZANNE D’AMATO

To those of us who live in the Granite State, it’s no surprise that small-town folks have big hearts. With the holiday season almost here, the familiar requests for monetary donations and drives for items of all kinds are being made.

The following are just a few examples of how generous donations of money, time and items from the kindness of strangers will touch the lives of friends and neighbors in need in our communities and provide them with some of the basic necessities of life, such as food, shelter, warmth and companionship.

The Rotary Club of Bedford is hosting its annual Senior Citizens Holiday Luncheon on Monday, Dec. 7, from 11:15 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Manchester Country Club.

The luncheon has been a longstanding annual Rotary tradition for the past 35 years.

The luncheon’s purpose is not to raise money, but, instead, to raise the spirits of the guests attending, all of whom reside in the nursing homes and senior residential communities in Bedford and west Manchester.

Rotary Club members – 47 in total – and their spouses volunteer their time to transport guests to and from the luncheon and help out during the event.

Tickets for all of the seniors are paid for by club members and the club’s treasury.

“We are expecting about 200 seniors to attend this year,” said Dick Bellerose, president of the Rotary Club of Bedford. The atmosphere at the luncheon is festive. The Rotary Club’s band plays music from the 1940s for dancing, Santa Claus makes an appearance, the ladies receive corsages, and the ballroom is decorated for Christmas.

“A lot of tears are shed by the luncheon guests. Many of them are invalids or shut-ins, so they don’t have many opportunities to leave their residences,” Bellerose said. “The luncheon is very important to a lot of us. It’s quite a tradition.”

Salvation Army bell ringing is another upcoming holiday tradition that has been sponsored by Rotary Club of Bedford for the past 40 years.

This year, club members will take turns ringing the iconic bell in front of Bedford’s Harvest Market supermarket at the corner of Route 101 and Wallace Road each day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Nov. 27 through Dec. 26.

The familiar holiday sound hopefully will encourage shoppers and passers-by to drop spare change into the familiar Salvation Army red kettle.

Last year, the bell ringers raised $18,000 to help fund the Salvation Army’s many community- service programs.

“We even may surpass last year’s total,” Bellerose continued. “People who are able to tend to donate even more money during tough times.”

For more information, visit Rotary Club of Bedford’s Web site at www.clubrunner.ca/CPrg/home/homeA.asp?cid=2908.

20-month-old Salem girl is ‘hero’ of Jimmy Fund Walk

Salem Editor — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:30:00 GMT

BY DARRELL HALEN

Brian Godfrey has never met Milana Rufo. But the 20- month-old Salem girl, who was treated for a kidney tumor at the Jimmy Fund Clinic in Boston, will inspire Godfrey as he walks to raise money for cancer care and treatment.

Godfrey, a Salem resident, is a member of Team Textron Defense Systems of Wilmington, Mass., 18 people who will participate in the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk in Massachusetts on Sunday, Sept. 13.

“It’s really an incredible day,” said Godfrey, whose team has raised more than $300,000 over the last 15 years. “At this event, everyone who’s there wants to be there. They’re all collecting money for the same cause.”

It’s a cause that’s very important to him. Godfrey’s father succumbed to cancer in 1997 at the age of 64. His father had prostate cancer, and when it was discovered, the cancer had already spread to his bones. It later traveled to his brain.

This year’s walk is expected to draw more than 8,000 participants. Routes of various lengths are available, and some participants will walk up to 26.2 miles along the historic route of the Boston Marathon.

Since the first walk was held 20 years ago, more than $60 million has been raised for cancer care and research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

The Jimmy Fund Clinic is the institute’s pediatric oncology center.

Some of the local people that traditionally support Godfrey’s participation include the Salem Exchange Club, Windham financial advisor Larry Vandevetter, and Joe Ouellette, the Windham owner of Lowell Car Care.

Godfrey tells walkers that once they’ve participated in a Jimmy Fund walk, they’ll continue to participate for the rest of their lives.

“Emotionally, it’s just an incredible day, to be with people doing something so good, so positive,” said Godfrey.

Milana is a member of the event’s heroes program.

Like other children, she puts a public face to the fundraising cause. Their photographs line the walk route to inspire and motivate participants. And many of the heroes join their families along the route to cheer on their teams.

“Walk heroes inspire and motivate our walkers,” said Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk Director Ann Beach. “They enable the walkers to make a personal connection with the many miles they’re logging and dollars they’re raising.”

The experience of being a walk hero distracts the young patients from their treatments and introduces them to new friends, according to organizers. Walkers provide friendship and support to walk heroes and their families.

“It’s just incredible when you see these kids smiling,” said Godfrey, who expects to meet Milana and her parents, Diane and John, at the event. “You know they’re dealing with something treacherous in their lives.”

Last October, Milana was diagnosed with a Wilm’s tumor, a rare kidney cancer that primarily affects children, when she was 10 months old. It was devastating news to her parents.

Her mother was changing her one day when she noticed her trunk was asymmetrical. A tumor on her kidney was pushing her liver forward.

A pediatrician who checked out Milana sent the family to Children’s Hospital in Boston. Surgeons removed the tumor and her right kidney. Six treatments of radiation and eight months of chemotherapy followed, and Milana lost most of her hair.

“They’ve been unbelievably supportive, obviously besides saving her life,” said Diane of the people at Dana-Farber. “It’s such an unbelievable place. Everyone is just so kind and supportive and caring.”

Thanks to the generosity of several organizations, the family received gift cards for gasoline and groceries, a blanket, doll, and care packages. Now, they’re giving back.

In August, Milana was a pedal partner for the 30th annual Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, where more than 5,500 cyclists rode to raise money for Dana-Farber. And Diane is working with parents of other young cancer patients to coordinate blood drives to benefit Children’s Hospital.

To donate go to the Jimmy Fund Web site and find Team Textron Defense Systems, which can be reached by selecting the team drop down areas.

The Web site is: http://www.jimmyfundwalk.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=297511.

Family works for brain tumor awareness

Bedford Editor — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:53:00 GMT

By DARRELL HALEN

Three years ago, when he was only 15 months old, Declan Rourke of Bedford had a tumor surgically removed from his brain. Now, his family is raising money to help other young patients struck by the same disease.

Declan’s family is part of a team that will participate in the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk on Sunday, Sept. 13, to support cancer treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston.

There are five routes – ranging from 3 miles to 26.2 miles – available to participants.

Organizers of the annual event expect that this year 8,000 walkers will raise $6 million through small and large donations.

“I think that’s one of the great advantages of the walk – that everyone can participate,” said Declan’s mother, Mel Pepin. “You just have to choose what level.”

Declan was diagnosed with an atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor on Father’s Day 2006. The ping-pong ball size tumor was removed at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon two days later, and he went through cancer treatment at Children’s Hospital Boston and the Dana-Farber Jimmy Fund Clinic.

“The best treatment in the world was in our back yard,” said Pepin, whose son lived in a hospital for six months. “We could not have been any luckier in that sense. People travel great distances to go to Dana-Farber.”

AT/RT strikes children usually under the age of 3. The tumor can be found anywhere in the brain and tends to spread through the central nervous system. Because it is highly malignant, AT/RT carries a high mortality rate.

Declan appeared to have a stomach bug when he first showed signs of being sick. After he vomited in his crib, his parents discovered he was not moving on his left side and his lips were starting to twitch.

“We were lucky he had a major episode that told us something was wrong,” said his father, Tym Roarke. “Often times, that doesn’t happen. Because of the fact we caught it so early is one of the reasons why he is doing so well.”

Today, Declan, who finished chemotherapy treatment in October 2007, has no evidence of the disease. There are, however, after-effects from his treatment, which also included radiation.

Declan has significant hearing loss, takes medication to control seizures and wears leg braces. He may show cognitive delays in his middle school and high school years. Damage to his heart and other organs may be discovered as he gets older.

“It’s a guessing game whether or not – and to what extent – he’ll manifest those (problems),” said Roarke, whose son could experience a secondary cancer as a result of chemotherapy drugs. “You just don’t know until you’re there. His doctors and people compliment how remarkable he looks and how remarkable he’s doing right now, compared to how incredibly sick he was. But (there are) other things that can crop up much later on.”

When Declan’s tumor was discovered, only one option for treatment, known as IRS III protocol, showed any promise. If they didn’t pursue it, the Rourkes would lose their son.

“When you’re (faced) with … you have no option but you can try this protocol that could potentially save his life, it’s kind of a logical choice,” said Pepin.

Family, friends, co-workers and even strangers rallied to support Declan and his family after he was diagnosed.

They received hundreds of greeting cards which they placed on the walls of their dining room.

“We needed that,” said Pepin. “That was our visual reminder of how many people were supporting us.”

And a fundraiser at the Manchester Country Club in September 2007 helped pay for some important expenses, including Pepin’s $1,500 a month COBRA insurance that would enable the family to cover the $1.6 million cost of Declan’s treatments.

In the United States, only around 30 new AT/RT cases are diagnosed each year. Because of the small number, it’s difficult for doctors to definitively conclude which portions of treatment actually work on patients.

Five families affected by AT/RT, including the Pepin- Rourke family, are teaming up to support the “Cure AT/RT Now” Fund at Dana-Farber by participating in the September walk. Their team, which has 64 members, has set out to raise $30,000.

The fund supports the work of the Jimmy Fund Clinic’s Stop and Shop Pediatric Brain Tumor Program and the work of two doctors, Susan Chi and Mark Kieran.

According to the team, Jimmy Fund Clinic researchers and clinicians are improving knowledge and treatment of AT/RT through cutting-edge research and by consulting with experts world-wide. Since the first Jimmy Fund walk was held 20 years ago, $60 million has been raised to support cancer treatment at Dana-Farber.

On the personal page she created at jimmyfundwalk.com, Pepin suggests donations that match experiences Declan has gone through.

For example, a dollar given for every round of chemotherapy that Declan has received would raise $57, and a dollar donated for each of the approximate number of nights he spent in the hospital would bring in $267.

Pepin is planning to walk the fundraiser’s 13.1-mile route and will be joined by her husband and son for the last five miles. Her father, Joe Pepin, a Bedford resident, is walking 26.2 miles.

The family invites the community to help them in three ways: walking with them, making a donation or sharing their story. They want to help provide better treatment – and hopefully one day a cure – to the patients of pediatric brain tumors.

“We’re very open about Declan’s experience,” said Pepin, whose son undergoes periodic tests to monitor his health and development. “Sharing our story helps us, it helps Declan and it helps raise money to make things better for other kids.”

Crispin’s House among tournament’s many winners

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:40:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

For area softball players, helping a local cause was a rewarding experience in itself. Winning along the way, of course, didn’t hurt.

Eleven teams took part in the annual Crispin’s House softball tournament on Saturday, Aug. 8, helping raise money for the nonprofit organization’s juvenile diversion program and Mountain View Middle School’s after-school activities.

During the double-elimination, one-pitch tournament, teams and donors helped raise roughly $3,000, said Al Baines, the event organizer and Crispin’s House president.

“It was very gratifying to see the response we got from the community,” said Baines. “It was a record-setting day in the amount of teams and the amount of fundraising.”

Though the eventual champion was a first-year team, the faces were familiar to locals as the New Boston Black Sox squad included many Goffstown youth baseball coaches.

The team’s tournament final came against Goffstown Junior Baseball, which worked its way through the losers’ bracket.

GJB won the first meeting in the final by a 6-0 margin, leaving a winner-take-all scenario that stretched into extra frames.

The teams played seven innings rather than the regulation five, with the Black Sox earning a 4-3 win for the title.

“It was fun to win,” said Black Sox organizer Don Chambers, who coached this year’s 11- and 12-year-old all-stars. “Really, though, we’re just playing to be there. Anything you can do for the kids at any level is great.”

Goffstown Junior Baseball played a big role off the field during the event, donating not only the food and beverages sold at the concessions stand, but also all of the money earned.

Baines said the day is critical to Crispin’s House, and not only for financial reasons.

“It’s a great event to bring people together, and for us to get the word out about Crispin’s House,” he said. “I got to tell a lot of people about what we do, which is something we really try to do in the community.”

Chambers said while his team didn’t take its time on the diamond too seriously, there was something on the line in the championship game.

“That’s one of the great things about the tournament … you can have some fun while you’re playing,” said Chambers of facing his fellow baseball coaches. “There wasn’t anything too serious that we were playing for, other than bragging rights and a little bit of rubbing it in.”

Bedford firefighters take third in Crispin’s House tournament

Bedford Editor — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:36:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Batters launching home runs over the fence at the Villa Augustina field complex in Goffstown didn’t get a leisurely stroll around the bases.

Instead, they got a lonely walk back to the dugout.

During the annual Crispin’s House one-pitch softball tournament, the rules don’t allow home runs, as balls traveling over the fence instead count for an out.

Among the teams trying to keep the balls in the yard was the Bedford Fire Department team, which ended with a third-place finish on Saturday, Aug. 8.

The team won its first two games before dropping consecutive contests in the doubleelimination bracket.

“It was a great tournament,” said Scott Klose, who played third base and pitched during the morning’s contests. “It’s tough for a seasoned softball player not to be swinging for the fences, but it affected everyone and that’s what made it interesting. You had to work for your runs since you weren’t getting the homers.”

Eleven teams signed up for tournament action, with money raised going to benefit Goffstown’s Crispin’s House, a non-profit organization that provides multiple services to the local youth.

Klose said team members were glad to be a part of contributing to the charity, but they were also there for another reason.

“It was a good balance between being competitive and having fun,” said Klose. “When we got down to it at the end it was a little more competitive than for fun. When we played our last games, they were out to win no matter what.”

A pick-up team called New Boston Black Sox won the tournament, defeating Goffstown Junior Baseball, which came through the loser’s bracket after losing to the Bedford firefighters. Event organizer Al Baines said a total of about $3,000 was raised to help fund the after school program at Mountain View Middle School as well as other causes.

“It’s a great event for us to bring the community toghether, and get the word out about Crispin’s House,” said Baines. “It was extremely gratifying to see the response from the community. It was a record day in the number of teams, and the amount of fundraising.”

Man flooded two years ago gets donated house

Hooksett Editor — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:46:00 GMT

By KAREN DANDURANT

Sometime in mid-July, Stan Watson will return to the property he has lived at for more than 10 years, to a brand-new home that was donated to him.

Watson’s previous home was destroyed in April 2007. Flood waters sent 3 feet of water through his property.

“I got out with a couple of bags of clothes and my dog,” Watson said. “I carried my dog out of the road. I can’t wait to close the door and know I am home again.”

On June 17, a miracle happened for Watson when a group called “No Place Like Home,” an offshoot of Grace Community Church in Rochester, delivered a modular home to his property at 60 Clement Road.

The home was delivered and finished by members of the church and students from Dover High School. The organization works with area students to give them the chance to help people in need.

Jan Fowler, a member of Grace Community Church said No Place Like Home started after the devastating hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana.

“We helped by sending water and other supplies,” Fowler said. “Our pastor, Bernie Quinn, stayed for two weeks in a shelter counseling people. When he came back, he said we need to think out of the box. We need to help people affected by situations like this.”

The church community recruited help from area businesses for labor and supplies and sent two houses to Cut Off Louisiana, delivered by the National Guard. Their path was set. Since then, the church group has donated a house in Goffstown, one in Barrington, another in Bennington and now the house in Allenstown.

Dover High School junior Nick Lytle said he likes helping even if it is a lot of work.

“A lot of my family are in this kind of business and I have the experience to help,” Lytle said.” It’s a good feeling.”

Nick Tweedie, a senior at Dover High School has been involved in some of the other projects.

“It’s hard work.” He said. “But you meet new people all the time and you know what you are doing is helping people. I worked on a barn. We basically gutted it and added new stalls for animals.

Watson couldn’t be more grateful.

“I have spent over 26 months at my parents’ house in Merrimack,” he said. “I don’t even know what I would have done if they were not around. People keep calling me to ask about the house. I am so grateful and cannot wait to be home.”

If you would like to make a donation to “There’s No Place Like Home” or would like more information on how to get involved, call 332-9689 or visit www.placelikehome.org.

Jeannie Benton rides cross country

Bedford Editor — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:56:00 GMT

By JILLIAN JORGENSEN

A Bedford woman is on the journey of a lifetime, taking a 3,629-mile bicycle tour across the country to raise money for charity.

Jeannie Benton, 51, began the trip in Astoria, Ore., on June 21. She plans to arrive in Portsmouth 11 states and 50 days later, on Aug. 10. The ride will not only give her a chance to pass through cities and towns from Casper, Wyo., to Niagara Falls, N.Y., but will also help raise money for Operation Life Transformed, a nonprofit that provides access to educational and career training opportunities for military spouses and caregivers of those wounded in war.

“It is an honor and privilege in life to take one’s strength and passion and put it to good use for the benefit of a greater cause. I’ve had a dream for over 12 years, and the time has finally come to see it come true!” Benton wrote in a fundraising letter circulated to friends, family and coworkers.

Benton will ride with an “America By Bicycle” tour with 60 other riders, across the northern tier of the United States. The trip will average 75 miles a day, with five rest days.

“While this is a great challenge for me, I have trained with this goal in mind for a long time and embraced the thought of a ‘greater victory’ in helping my fellow Americans in some significant way,” Ben ton wrote.

A long-time cycling enthusiast, Benton has long wanted to ride across the country, and was looking for the right charity with which to partner, said Kristina Saul, outreach program manager at Operation Life Transformed.

“This is something she’s been wanting to do for quite some time,” Saul said.

Benton, who has lived in town for 32 years, is a paraprofessional at Bedford High School, where other staff and students have been aware of her training efforts.

“I think they really are excited for her to have the opportunity to do this cross-country bike trip,” said George Edwards, principal of Bedford High School. “At the same time, they really admire the fact that she’s worked so hard and trained so hard to be able to do it. That’s a long way.”

He said the school community is also thankful she used the opportunity to raise money for a “very noble cause.”

“I think people are very thankful to see that she’s taken the opportunity to raise money for servicemen and women,” he said.

People can follow along with Benton’s journey online, at www.operationlifetrans formed.org/ra.html and http://twitter.com/LifeTransformed, where her daily mileage is posted, or on the organization’s Twitter account. Donations can be made in her name on the Web site, and gifts are available for various levels of funds donated.

Benton will make a stop in Manchester in August before reaching the coast.

“They’ve got to be psyched when they dip their tires in the Pacific, and then they’ll have the opportunity to dip their tires in the Atlantic when they get here,” Edwards said.

Hill resident donates 1,000th hat to charity

Goffstown Editor — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 20:31:00 GMT

BY CAROLE KLEMENT HUXEL

Angelina Koyiades did not know how to knit when she moved into the Hillsborough County Nursing home in 2006, so it’s a surprise to her that she’s about to donate her 1,000th hat to a local charity.

Her hobby was ballroom dancing, and she and her late husband, Euripides, often went dancing at the Carousel in Manchester.

Raising a daughter, and helping with two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren kept her busy enough, and there was always something to embroider if she needed hand work.

The Purley Girls Knitting Club at The Hill invited Koyiades to join them when she moved in. “That’s when I learned to knit!” said Koyiades.

Barbara Broullette and Earleen Dobens were generous with their time, and pretty soon Koyiades was creating some warm knit hats. One hat turned into a dozen, and that dozen turned into 100. Then it just kept rolling from there.

Koyiades gives credit to the women at The Hill for helping her finance her project. Karen Wilcott from the activities department and Samantha Champagne both help with the yarn.

“Samantha will make an afghan in all different colors and give me the leftovers,” said Koyiades.

And her daughter, Zoe, buys bags and bags of yarn.

The hats are picked up by Electra Joaquin and Kelly O’Brien Hebert from the Anagennesis Ladies Society at the St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral, where Koyiades is a parishioner.

They are delivered every month to New Horizons in Manchester and the English as a second language program at Wilson and Beech Street schools.

Koyiades was also voted the July 2008 Hill Resident of the Month and has won four blue ribbons from the Hillsborough County Agricultural Fair, for her “Nice design and choice of colors.”

Charitable effort results in new home for mom, daughter

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:20:00 GMT

BY CAROLE KLEMENT HUXEL

Debbie and Nicole Riel were running out of options when Gail Thomas stopped by one day to check on the ailing mother and daughter. Their home needed many repairs. It was draining both their finances and their energy, and a winning lottery ticket seemed to be their only hope.

Now, after months of labor, Debbie and Nicole’s new home at 4 Autumn St. in Goffstown is complete, thanks to the generosity of the Goffstown community.

Suffering from breast cancer and after two decades of debilitating physical illnesses, Debbie was completely dependent on daughter Nicole for care until the unthinkable happened – Nicole contracted a deadly bacterial infection in her heart and nearly lost her life during what became a six-week hospital stay.

“Nicole was trying to go to college full time and take care of me,” said Debbie. “Just as things were starting to get a little better for us, Nicole got sick. We were real close to losing the house, and had nowhere to turn.”

Thomas knew this situation could not be ignored, so she approached the Rev. Bill Exner, the rector of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church. Because they were not part of St. Matthew’s congregation, Debbie and Nicole were surprised when Exner stopped by to see them. He asked what he could do for them for the Christmas holidays, and Debbie assured him, “Nicole’s survival was my gift.”

George Welch, a parishioner at St. Matthews, said, “It takes a lot of courage to open your private life to people and ask for help. We all thought, ‘Gee, wouldn’t it be nice if we could do something,’ and it just started from there!” In the months that followed, more than 100 members of the community stepped up to build Debbie and Nicole a new house.

Local builder Al Gamans realized a single-level modular home would be much more appropriate for the two recovering patients. The next thing Debbie and Nicole knew, Tim Redmond was excavating the site.

Many others also rendered their services, such as Pawjer Construction, who installed a septic system; Harvey Construction, who poured concrete; Armand and Joy LeBlanc, who delivered a furnace; Carlyle Floors, who provided hardwood so there would be no carpet chemicals in the air; and Janas Plumbing and Norton Phelps, who installed the plumbing and electric.

“We’ve made a lot of new friends,” said Debbie. “The people of this town have really stepped forward and given us a lot.”

Community members donated time and energy, wrote checks and moved the pair into their new home this summer. “The people who contributed aren’t going to get famous,” said Welch. “They just did it because it’s the right thing to do. When you think of how bad the economy is, they could have said no, but they chose not to.” “(The house) is the perfect size for both of us,” said Debbie. Debbie said the part of the house she likes the most is the walk-in shower, with its built-in seat.

“It’s beautiful! And the a/c, that’s beautiful!” Nicole has a den now, filled with American Heart Association memorabilia that she uses in her role as the New Hampshire spokesman.

Nicole’s back in college, and though her illness has left her with some significant neurological issues, she and Debbie are upbeat.

“You open your mouth and say you’re miserable. Nobody really wants to hear that, and then everyone is miserable. You walk around with a smile on your face, and soon everyone has a smile,” said Nicole. “We are so blessed,” said Debbie. “We are really blessed.”

Residents find ‘We’ve been scammed’

Bedford Editor — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:05:00 GMT

BY STEPHEN BEALE

A tag team of scam artists who residents said were posing as teenagers raising money for youth trips and charitable causes have been snagged by Seacoast police.

Authorities arrested two people, a man and a woman, who had been soliciting charitable donations in neighborhoods, saying they were affiliated with a company known as Prestige Sales USA, which is based in Arizona.

Michael Moorefield, 25, of Tucson, Ariz., was arrested Wednesday, Aug. 27, in Rye and charged with solicitation without a permit, a violation of a town ordinance. The same day, Greenland police arrested Denise Goodhue, 26, of Vanleer, Tenn., charging her with possession of a controlled substance for a small amount of marijuana she had with her. Police said they had stopped her and two male companions before they could begin working in a local neighborhood.

Bedford police have confirmed that Moorefield is also suspected of running a possible scam here. Residents claimed a woman had been involved in the scam as well, but officials have not said if there is any connection between Goodhue and Bedford.

Moorefield has been released on $500 personal recognizance bail and faces arraignment in Portsmouth District Court on Sept. 15. Goodhue, also out on personal recognizance, is due in the district court on Oct. 20.

Bedford resident Carol Brecht of Meadow Road was relieved to hear of the arrests. During a visit from Moorefield, she and her husband had given more than $200 to Prestige Sales USA, the company that was supposedly handling the donations.

“I’m ecstatic,” Brecht said. “I’m so thrilled. I’m so happy that no one else will be scammed by these two.”

In Rye, however, Moorefield had succeeded in obtaining several checks to Prestige Sales USA from residents of the Ocean Boulevard area. Officials from Greenland and Rye said the company does not have a good reputation.

“The Rye Police Department has learned this is not a reputable company by the Arizona Better Business Bureau and are asking residents to call if they were or are approached in the future by subjects attempting to collect donations,” the department said in a press release.

Bedford police are still investigating the incidents, saying it is still “undetermined” if Moorefield was a “legitimate solicitor.”

Police are asking anyone with information on the case to call the department at 472-5113 or Bedford Crime Line at 472- 8999.

Police are urging residents to use common sense when approached by door-to-door salesmen or other solicitors and be on the alert for signs of suspicious activity in their neighborhoods.

“As always, the Bedford Police Department would like to remind residents to use good common sense when dealing with door to door sales people, charity groups and solicitors,” police said. “Be cautious of the organizations that they provide money without first confirming that they are a legitimate charity or organization.”

Brecht and Nancy Taylor, a friend who lives nearby on McQuade Brook Road, described in vivid detail strikingly similar accounts of their encounter with Moorefield.

In both cases, the man, who identified himself only as “Michael,” asked for donations to Prestige Sales USA to pay for books at a children’s hospital and an AAU baseball team trip to Hawaii.

Taylor said the man had an elaborate story that ultimately made little sense. “There were so many different things that were red flags,” she said.

She became suspicious, she added, when the man told her he lived in “Moore’s Purchase,” the official name for the subdivision that encompasses Colonel Daniels Drive, Federation Road and Colleny Drive. People who live in the area, however, do not use that name, said Taylor. When she pressed him, he said he lived at number 34 on a street off Colonel Daniels Drive, but neither of the other two roads has that address, according to town assessment records.

He told Brecht he lived at 134 Colonel Daniels Drive, another nonexistent address.

In both cases, the man claimed a close relative walked her dog in front of their homes every day. He also told both women they looked too young to have children as old as they did, ironically a sure sign, Taylor said he was older than his given age of 17 years.

Moorefield made the comment to Taylor after her 12-year-old daughter came to the door.

“He looked at me and said, ‘That’s your daughter?’” Taylor recalled. “He said, ‘You don’t look old enough to have a daughter that old,’ kind of in a smarmy way. No 17-year-old would talk to an adult that way.”

Taylor said her brief conversation with the man turned sour when her boyfriend, a former police officer, came to the door and asked to see a driver’s license or other ID.

“That’s when he said, ‘I don’t carry my license around with me all the time’ and started to get very agitated that we were asking all these questions and not just handing over a check,” Taylor said.

After a series of questions the man left and Taylor called the Police Department, which said it would send a cruiser to the area right away. But about an hour later, the man showed up on Meadow Road.

Brecht said she and her husband, Craig, did not ask to see any ID. Instead, they cut him a check between $200 and $300.

“The biggest thing that got you, you thought you were helping a neighbor,” Brecht said.

But after he left, the couple had second thoughts. While her husband went out looking for 134 Colonel Daniels Drive, Brecht said she went online to research “Prestige Sales USA,” becoming convinced that it was a scam.

When he returned, “I looked at him and said, ‘There is no 134 Colonel Daniels?’ and he said ‘No,’” Brecht recalled. “I said, ‘You need to call the bank right away. We’ve been scammed.’”