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Enriching our community in a welcoming, historic setting for lifelong learning, philanthropy, and enjoyment

DCA Awards More Than $60,000 in Grants

The DCA is proud of the accomplishments of Darien High School (DHS) graduates, and pleased to help contribute toward their college education. Please see page three for a complete listing of 42 DCA scholarship awards, to both graduating seniors and current college students. Scholarships are funded by a wide range of DCA programs - from our Thrift Shop to Academic Lecture Series to house rentals - and with the support of donations including those of our scholarship sponsors. Since its inception 77 years ago, the DCA scholarship program has provided over $2 million in funding to more than 1300 DHS graduates. The DCA is the largest provider of scholarships to DHS graduates - with funding for both new and returning college students – and the only scholarship program offering recipients the opportunity to reapply for all four years of college.

Darien High School Class of 2018 DCA Scholarship Award winners pictured above, bottom row, left to right: Tiana Tupac-Yupanqui, Julia O’Brien, Olivia Srednicka, Aislinn Mobley, Kaitlyn Manghirmalani, Stefani Gentile. Top row, left to right: Robert Keeney, Justin Jordan, John Harron, Anthony Gentile, Angela Mehta, Lauren Larizza, Brielle Racanelli, Emily Findlan. Not pictured: Matthew Alvarado, Mahmoud Ashrifeh, Lilah Grant, Kenneth Klarer, Victoria Klarer, Adeline Schoen.

Summer 2015 Newsletter

Congratulations to our DCA College Scholarship Recipients!

Summer 2018 Newsletter

2 Summer 2018 Newsletter Darien Community Association • 274 Middlesex Road, Darien, CT 06820 • 203-655-9050 • info@dariendca.org • dariendca.org

Message to membersFrom the president We are excited to be going green, and this will be our last printed newsletter. Please be sure to sign up, if you haven’t already, for email announcements from the DCA. You may do this from our website, dariendca.org, or through the DCA office.

The DCA is once again proud to highlight the Darien High School (DHS) graduates who are our 2018 college scholarship recipients. We are grateful for the support of our named scholarship sponsors, and the dedication of our Scholarship Committee volunteers: co-chairs Kate Larson and Susan Vogel, and committee members Joan Barksdale, Kristen Harnisch, Judi Linskey and Pat van den Broek. The DCA also presented community service awards, sponsored by an anonymous donor, to four DHS students.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to renew your DCA membership, please do so online, by mail or in person at the DCA. With the exception of our two week closure from August 6 – August 17, the staff will be here over the summer - supervising several improvement projects, supporting rental events and the DCA Thrift Shop, and preparing for all of our fall activities.

I have finished my term as your DCA president, but will look forward to continuing my volunteering on the scholarship committee, and at the Thrift Shop. The DCA is fortunate to have Michele Litt, with many years of DCA leadership experience, as its new president. Thank you to Cindy Ryan, who has contributed in numerous ways to the DCA - especially in our bird sanctuary - and who has also finished her term on the board of directors. And welcome to our new board members Caroline Burke, Wanda Forlivio, and Diane Halvorsen.

Best wishes for a healthy and relaxing summer.

See you at the DCA!

Ulla Kremer

DCA Community Service Awards

Four DHS Students Receive the DCA Community Service AwardThese awards, sponsored by a friend of the DCA, were presented at the Darien High School awards ceremony to two seniors and two juniors: for students who have made significant contributions to the community during their high school years.

This year’s winners were Robert Keeney - Class of 2018, Kaitlyn Manghirmalani - Class of 2018, Liliana Cullen – Class of 2019 and Reilly Warble – Class of 2019.

Congratulations to these deserving students and thank you to the anonymous donor who made this recognition possible.

Pictured from left to right, Kaitlyn Manghirmalani (senior), Robert Keeney (senior), Liliana Cullen (junior) and Reilly Warble (junior).

...this will be our last

printed newsletter. Please

be sure to sign up, if you

haven’t already, for email

announcements from the

DCA.

3 Summer 2018 Newsletter Darien Community Association • 274 Middlesex Road, Darien, CT 06820 • 203-655-9050 • info@dariendca.org • dariendca.org

Congratulations to the 2018 DCA Scholarship Recipients

Darien High School Class of 2018 Carolyn Jean Rich Memorial Scholarship Aislinn Mobley Loyola University New OrleansEmmons Family Scholarship Lilah Grant Loyola University MarylandJeff Schlachtenhaufen Scholarship Anthony Gentile Sacred Heart UniversityJoy Family Scholarship Olivia Srednicka Loyola University MarylandKazia Klimczak Scholarship Stefani Gentile UCONNKremer/Massengill Family Scholarship Anthony Gentile Sacred Heart UniversityKremer/Massengill Family Scholarship John Harron Roger Williams UniversityLaurel Road Bank Scholarship Emily Findlan UCONNMaybell Family Scholarship Adeline Schoen Northeastern University“Mr. Z.” (Darien Sport Shop) Scholarship Julia O’Brien University of Wisconsin – MadisonNielsen’s Florist Scholarship Brielle Racanelli University of MiamiPalmer’s Market Scholarship Matthew Alvarado Bard CollegePatricia Buchanan Scholarship Victoria Klarer University of RochesterPJ, Caroline and Phoebe Maglathlin Scholarship Lauren Larizza University of VirginiaRing’s End Scholarship Kaitlyn Manghirmalani Bryant UniversityRodriguez Family Scholarship Justin Jordan Sacred Heart UniversityUS Chemicals, A Woman-Owned Business Angela Mehta Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ScholarshipWilliam Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty - Kenneth Klarer University of Florida Darien ScholarshipDCA Path to the Future Award Mahmoud Ashrifeh Syracuse UniversityDCA Path to the Future Award Robert Keeney Valley Forge Military CollegeDCA Path to the Future Award Tiana Tupac-Yupanqui Loyola University Maryland

Current College Students Receiving Continued Scholarship FundingAnne C. Cary Scholarship Elizabeth Borecki Wellesley College James Fox Boston College Abiha Jafri UCONN Nathan Mayerhoeffer Gettysburg CollegeAnonymous Donor Scholarship Rebecca DeMaio UCONN Brendan Shay Scholarship Tom Berisha Southern CT State UniversityEileen and Tami Hanford Scholarship Peter Grant Southern CT State UniversityThe Heights at Darien Scholarship Dominique Guilford Spelman College Marie Gallagher Scholarship Laine Blummer UCONNMurphy Family Scholarship Jennifer Previte Coastal Carolina UniversityNielsen’s Florist Scholarship Jean Pierre Documet Tufts UniversityCora Osherow Scholarship Tyler Grant UCONNPerformance Physical Therapy Scholarship Katherine Greco Miami UniversityRing’s End Scholarship Brian Peters University of New EnglandRodriguez Family Scholarship Christina Chariott Roanoke CollegeScott and Jane Pelley Scholarship Claire Borecki Colby College Lila Scott Loyola University MarylandUS Chemicals, A Woman-Owned Business Katherine Cunningham Tufts University ScholarshipDCA Path to the Future Scholarship Michael Borecki Bowdoin College Cord Fox University of Richmond Nathan Mayerhoeffer Gettysburg College

DCA Theater Bus

Darien Community Association • 274 Middlesex Road, Darien, CT 06820 • 203-655-9050 • info@dariendca.org • dariendca.org Summer 2018 Newsletter 4

Highlights of the 2017-2018 Program Year

Amy Bell, Executive Director, at the May 24th Annual Meeting Before we welcome our guest speaker, Dr. Katie Takayasu, I wanted to share a few brief highlights of the 2017-2018 year. We are proud to be the place in our community for people of all ages to gather, give, and learn. And as a privately-funded nonprofit that does not receive any financial support from the Town of Darien – we are grateful to all of you.

•Tonight we will present 21 college scholarship awards to graduating seniors at Darien High School, as well as four community service awards. Next month, our scholarship committee volunteers will be interviewing returning college students. We are proud that the DCA continues to be the largest provider of scholarships at Darien High School and the only one that offers awardees the opportunity to reapply for all their years of college.

•Thanks to extensive outreach by our named scholarship committee volunteers, and the community’s generosity, we have many awards sponsored by local businesses and families.

•In addition to all of the outstanding programming you’ve always enjoyed from the DCA, last fall we were thrilled to present a sold-out evening with Amor Towles, the bestselling author of A Gentleman in Moscow. And we launched a new and very successful speaker series this spring, Darien Neighbors, Global Players, which also served as our main fundraiser.

•Our volunteer-run DCA Thrift Shop has always provided significant revenue to the DCA, a much-needed community service for those shopping on a budget, and a place to be “green” and donate unneeded items. And this spring, we inaugurated a special new and designer clothes sale, adding to our income.

•If you look outside to our formal garden, you’ll see why it provides a beautiful backdrop for private rental events – especially weddings – and are our calendar is full of them. But in addition to weddings, we’re pleased with the variety of events we are hosting, including showers, corporate meetings, and numerous fundraisers for local nonprofit organizations.

•This year our grounds, formal garden and bird sanctuary have been further enhanced with more than 160 donated plantings – due to the team effort and generosity of The Tree Conservancy of Darien, The Growing Concern, and Tree Conservancy board members Ginger Morgan, Sig Buchmayr and Karen Hughan (Ginger is also a member of our Greenhouse Group, and Sig is also a member of our DCA board). And if you haven’t been in our Bird Sanctuary recently, which is open to the public, please take a stroll – and admire the continued work done by our bird sanctuary committee. They have also put together a wonderful program for visiting groups of all ages.

•We have been busy this year implementing our strategic plan, with a focus on expanding our reach and the community’s participation in the DCA, especially through our new website launched last fall.

•We’re thrilled with our new board members, and thank Cindy Ryan and Ulla Kremer for their service. You’ll still see Cindy out in the bird sanctuary! Ulla, after three years as president, will also continue her work at the Thrift Shop and on our scholarship committee. For her leadership and devotion to the DCA for more than 25 years, Ulla was honored on Tuesday as our DCA Volunteer of the Year. Marilyn DeMaio, our office manager, also celebrated her 10 year anniversary with the DCA this year.

We recognize that the realization of the DCA mission is only possible because of the enthusiasm and commitment of our volunteers, and the generous support of the Darien community. Thank you.

Darien Community Association • 274 Middlesex Road, Darien, CT 06820 • 203-655-9050 • info@dariendca.org • dariendca.org Summer 2018 Newsletter 5

The 2017-2018 season offered another year of intriguing, crowd-pleasing, and entertaining programs, lectures and events. What a great year! Thank you for your leadership and coordination of these programs that are so key to the DCA mission, our members, and the local community.

• Susan Bhirud - Academic Lecture Series• Sig Buchmayr - Bird Sanctuary• Kathy Edwards - Duo Piano Group• Chris Filmer - Bird Sanctuary• Bebe Fisher - Theater Bus• Kristen Harnisch - VP Programs• Martha Hathaway - Blue Notes• Patricia Hedlund - Art Lecture Series• Poppy Holmes - Page Turners• Lisa Joyce - Programs and Classes

To our Program, Group and Committee Chairs

• Kate Larson - Scholarship Committee• Tom Lom - Darien Men’s Association• Cindy Ryan - Bird Sanctuary• Diane Schlinkert - Women’s Luncheons• Carol Smith - Thrift Shop• Deb Suckow - Bridge classes and games• Karol Lee Trismen - Blue Notes• Susan Vogel - Scholarship Committee• Patty von Jena - Greenhouse Group

Thank You!

Ulla Kremer, DCA Volunteer of the Year Ulla Kremer was the DCA’s honoree at The Community Fund of Darien’s 39th Annual Darien Volunteer Recognition Day, an event held at and co-sponsored by the DCA.

Over the last 25 years, there is hardly a volunteer job that Ulla Kremer hasn’t graciously assumed at the DCA. Completing her term as board of directors president, she has also served as executive vice president, secretary, classes chair, scholarship committee member, and Thrift Shop volunteer. With an uncompromising work ethic and positive approach, she has not only handled the large leadership responsibilities, but is the first to volunteer for any day-to-day smaller task: whether helping to clean up after an event, or taking on an extra cashier shift at the Thrift Shop. Ulla’s kindness, and energy level, know no bounds.

Congratulations Ulla!

Upcoming Events Find out more

The Darien Community Association • 274 Middlesex Road, Darien, CT 06820 • 203-655-9050 • info@dariendca.org • dariendca.org

NON PROFITORGANIZATIONUS POSTAGE PAIDSTAMFORD CTPERMIT NO 2053

September 5, 10:00am Darien Men’s Association meetings begin weekly September 10, 12:30pm Duplicate Bridge begins weekly September 17, 12:30pm Page Turners book group meets October 2, 12:15pm Women’s Luncheons - Krista Fox on “The Power of Your Home” October 4, 11:00am Art Lecture Series on Sculpture begins

DCA Office Hours

9:00am - 3:00pm Monday - Thursday 9:00am - 12:00pm Fridays

House RentalsFor information or a tour of the estate, for your catered event, please contact:

Laura Boulton Catered Events Coordinator events@dariendca.org 203-655-9050 extension 12

For room rentals only, contact:

Marilyn DeMaio Office Manager info@dariendca.org 203-655-9050 extension 10

Our hours will continue as normal (see top right) through the summer, except from August 6 to August 17 when the house will be closed. We will be checking in periodically, so during this time feel free to email info@dariendca.org or leave a phone message at 203-655-9050 ext. 10.

Summertime Hours