President Jim Coleman greets the Pearson Family (l to r) Jim Coleman,
John H. Pearson, III, John H. Pearson, Jr., Barbara Pearson, Ginger Pearson
LOWELL, (November 8, 2007) – Nearly 200 guests attended the American Textile History Museum’s annual Gala fund-raiser and 2007 Community Service Award presentation on November 2 to honor John J. Pearson, Jr. of Lowell for his generosity and commitment to the Greater Lowell community. Pearson, a current Museum trustee and past Chairman of the Board, is president and CEO of Butler Bank, and senior partner of Pearson & Pearson Attorneys at Law in Lowell. The evening raised over $115,000, and the proceeds will benefit the Museum’s operations, including its educational programs, collections and exhibitions.
The evening was black-tie optional and took place at the Vesper Country Club in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts. The program featured a cocktail reception and silent auction, award presentation, dinner and dancing to the Winiker Band, and a display of special objects from the Museum’s collection and Osborne Library.
(l to r) The evening’s honoree John H. Pearson, Jr., Museum President Jim Coleman,
Larry Ardito, the Museum’s Director of Advancement Linda Carpenter, Lucille McAvoy,
and Chairman of the Museum’s Board of Trustees Ken McAvoy
Major sponsors for the event included Butler Bank, DeMoulas Foundation and Lowell general Hospital at the Platinum level; Battles Foundation, Brown Brothers Harriman, Nancy & Richard Donahue, Enterprise Bank, Mr. & Mrs. George L. Duncan, Gateway Center, Lowell Five Cent Savings Bank, Pearson & Pearson LLP, Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Stevens, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Ward, and Watts Water Technologies, Inc. at the Gold level; Devine Millimet, Mr. & Mrs. Angel M. Garcia, and O’Connor Studio/Trinity EMS at the Silver level; and Mr. John DeAngelis, Mr. & Mrs. William B. Gannett, Francis S. and Marlene K. Marchilena, and Mr. Lawrence Ardito at the Bronze level.
The Community Service Award, instituted by the Museum in 2002, is presented to individuals or organizations who have shown through their good works, exemplary volunteer service, compassion, involvement in the community and with the Museum. Past recipients Nancy and Richard Donahue, Edward B. Stevens, and Nicola Tsongas, were among the evening’s guests.
Joyous party guests fill the dance floor!
The Museum temporarily closed to the public in July to begin renovating its Textiles in America core exhibition. Funding for the project comes from a $3.9 million Campaign for the American Textile History Museum, Stories of the Past…Visions of the Future. A total of $500,000 remains to be raised in order to reach the campaign’s goal. For information, call 978-441-0400 ext. 246, or visit www.athm.org.
The American Textile History Museum collection is the most significant textile history collection in North America, with an extraordinary library and one of the world’s largest and most important publicly held collections of tools, spinning wheels, hand looms and early production machines. Its collections include more than 5 million textile prints, fabric samples, coverlets and clothing. During construction, the Museum’s Administrative offices are open; Collections department and the Osborne Library are open by appointment, and selected school and scout programs are available. A grand reopening of the Museum is expected in late Spring 2008.
