Donna Bouchard
TO THE EDITOR:
On April 1, 2011, a beautiful, talented and beloved young woman Lauren Dunne Astley celebrated her 18th birthday. Ten years later, on what would have been Lauren’s 28th birthday, please accept this invitation to celebrate her life and turn Wayland coral (#TurnWaylandCoral)!
Wayland’s own Susan Wagner, reporting for The MetroWest Daily News at the time, aptly captured the story behind the coral ribbons and bows that adorned so many doors, mailboxes, trees, lampposts and fences as 2011 drew to a close:
“The coral ribbons are mostly down, but the sparkle of Lauren Dunne Astley’s life is still fresh in the memory and love of her friends and family, both immediate and extended.”
Wicked Local
The 2021 recipients of the Lauren Dunne Astley Memorial Fund s mini-grants have been announced.
This marks the eighth year that the fund has awarded funding for creative initiatives in the three areas of its mission Effective Teen Relationships & Violence Prevention, the Arts, and Community Service.
Applicants this year had the burden of planning around the significant challenges presented by COVID-19, but this still turned out to be the most competitive application season ever.
After difficult choices, a total of 15 project proposals were funded this year, all of which carry Lauren Dunne Astley’s spirit and memory into their important work. They are: