Business to donate $15K for history

By Matthew Bernat
Turley Publications Staff Writer

STURBRIDGE - Local history will receive a boost this year from an area company whose employees decided it was time to help preserve the past.
Yankee Spirits Inc. will donate a total of $15,000 to local historical societies as part of its employee-directed charitable giving campaign.
“We’re hoping to make a real impact,” said Michael Cimini, president of Yankee Spirits Inc.
That company’s 2010 charitable giving program aims to make the most positive effect possible by focusing on historical societies and preservation groups working to save at-risk and vulnerable pieces of New England history, such as photograph archives, historic buildings and structures, heritage trees, landmarks, arts and documents, and collections of historic items that are in need of care, maintenance, repair, or improvements.
Letters of application for specific projects are now welcome from recognized non-profit organizations and can be sent to yankeespiritsgiving@gmail.com or Yankee Spirits Charitable Giving Manager, P.O. Box 191, Sturbridge, MA, 01566. Letters of application will be accepted until April 30.
As of presstime, Cimini said he had received one application and hoped there would be more on the way. Historical societies in area towns such as Brimfield, Brookfield, Palmer, Ware, Southbridge and others are welcome to apply, Cimini said.
Communities served by Yankee Spirits’ Attleboro and Swansea, Mass. locations will also be benefiting from the program.
“During this economic downturn, many precious and irreplaceable pieces of our history have suffered from neglect or simply lack of funds to do the right thing," he said. "We feel Yankee Spirits can make a real difference by helping to preserve our local history.”
Yankee Spirits has a long tradition of giving back to its communities. In 2009, the liquor retailer decided to allow employees help direct the focus of the program each year to maximize the impact of its charitable dollars in each of its communities. Last year, Yankee Spirits donated $15,000 to area animal shelters. The liquor retailer also contributed $3,250 to Rehabilitative Resources Inc. (RRI), a group which gives care to those living with developmental disabilities. RRI offers therapeutic programs for those individuals with their animals at Elm Hill Farm.
In previous years donations were doled out to many organizations, but in smaller increments, Cimini said. By offering a few organizations a larger donation employees of the company hope to see real change through their efforts, he said.
For more information about Yankee Spirits' charitable giving program, please visit www.yankeespirits.com.