Connect:

Build A Bed Inspires Teamwork by Local Banks to Benefit Children

By Laura Bentley, Newburyport.Com Correspondent
Owner of Newburyport.Com, Laura manages Business Development, Fundraising, the VIP Program, Blogging and the Events Calendar.
Featured Video Play Icon

Local banks joined forces for their annual Build A Bed team-building initiative, an inspiring example of collaboration and teamwork helping to build beds for children in our community and communities throughout Massachusetts. What began in 2022 as a shared goal to help make a difference in the lives of children developed into a friendly bed-building competition between Newburyport Bank and Institution for Savings.

With the recent merger of Newburyport Bank and Pentucket Bank forming River Run Bancorp MHC, the 2023 local Build A Bed team expanded, adding Pentucket Bank to the roster. The three local banks decided to work together, encouraging employees to create mixed teams to include employees from the other banks. The Build A Bed 2023 teams successfully built 30 beds in support of the mission to provide A Bed for Every Child.

There are many children in Massachusetts who don’t have the luxury of their own bed. They are sharing with siblings or parents and in some cases, children are sleeping on couches, air mattresses, floors and beds that they have outgrown or areBuild A Bed Donations, Teamwork, Newburyport Bank broken. With sleep being an essential element to physical and mental health, the Build A Bed mission has been recognized by many as a critical necessity.

Bank employees kicked off the beautiful afternoon with lunch served by Michael’s Harborside giving bank employees a chance to say “hi” to friends and meet new ones as a warm-up for this amazing team-building activity. Executives from each of the three banks provided opening remarks: Mary Anne Clancy, Senior VP Marketing & Communications for Institution for Savings, Leanne Eastman, Senior VP Community & Public Relations Director for Pentucket Bank and Tim Felter, Senior Executive VP/CFO/CAO/Treasurer of Newburyport Bank. Wilson and Jeffrey, representatives from Massachusetts based nonprofit A Bed for Every Child, provided training for the 70 bank volunteers.

Instead of cars, the Newburyport Bank parking lot was filled with employees, materials and tools that volunteers used to build beds. It was inspiring to see the mixed teams; blue shirts representing Newburyport Bank/Pentucket Bank and the green shirts representing Institution for Savings. It was inspiring to watch businesses that could be categorized as friendly competitors unite for the greater good, putting competition aside and instead prioritizing the Build A Bed mission to help ensure that every child has a place to dream.

Build A Bed, Newburyport Bank Teamwork Initiative

Historic Carousel on Salisbury Beach – Newburyport Bank $250K Donation

By Laura Bentley, Newburyport.Com Correspondent
Owner of Newburyport.Com, Laura manages Business Development, Fundraising, the VIP Program, Blogging and the Events Calendar.
Historic Carousel, Salisbury Beach

A beautifully restored historic carousel and new pavilion has been constructed on Salisbury Beach thanks to the efforts of the Salisbury Beach Partnership andHistoric Carousel, Salisbury Beach a generous $250K donation from Newburyport Bank—a true community bank that gives back to the neighborhoods it serves. This project is part of a greater effort to restore Salisbury’s waterfront, creating a year-round family-oriented destination.

The pavilion is located at a space on Broadway that has been vacant for 25 years, donated by Partnership President Wayne Capolupo and his family. Along with the historic carousel, the pavilion is also home to a much-needed Newburyport Bank micro branch and event space.

The wooden hand-carved carousel, dating back to 1909, was built by W.F. Mangels at the Looff factory in East Providence, Rhode Island. During its heyday, the Looff carousel whirled and twirled at Harveys Lake Amusement Park in Pennsylvania. Now over 100 years later, the historic carousel has been completely restored and is once again bringing smiles to riders—big and small.

Historic Carousel, Salisbury Beach The carousel, one of only 300 of its kind, is made up of 44 hand-carved and painted wooden animals—including horses, giraffes, camels, and goats. As part of the fundraising for the project, families and local businesses have been given the opportunity to “adopt” one of the animals and sponsor it for the next 20 years.

Along with the Adopt a Horse program, all proceeds from prior year Sea Festival of Trees and the engraved brick campaign were also allocated to the historic carousel and pavilion. The Salisbury Beach Partnership has continued to raise up to $1 million in funds for the Campaign for the Carousel.

The Salisbury waterfront is no stranger to having a beautiful carousel for locals and visitors to enjoy. The Broadway Flying Horses, the original Salisbury carousel, was a beloved family tradition for over 60 years before being sold off and moved to Santa Monica, California in 2019. The new addition of the pavilion and historic carousel, along with many other investment like the new Welcome Center, Comfort Station, and oceanfront boardwalk have brought back the magic of Salisbury Beach.

Skip to toolbar