By Judee Cosentino The Sun Chronicle
Jacob Logan 4 of Mansfield jumps through a blow-up obstacle course. The annual McGinty Family Fun Day was held on the Foxboro Common on Saturday. All proceeds go to the McGinty Scholarship Foundation.
FOXBORO – Bounce houses, various children’s arts and crafts, and two live bands created a festive atmosphere on the Foxboro Common on Saturday during the ninth annual McGinty Family Fun Day, held to honor Michael G. McGinty, a local man who died during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
McGinty’s wife, Cindy, felt the day truly honored her late husband, a deacon at the Bethany Congregational Church and a devoted husband and father who always looked for family-oriented events during weekends with his wife and children.
“We want families to be able to come out and have a great day, and that’s what Michael would want,” Cindy McGinty said.While the loss of her husband still hurt, McGinty took comfort in the number of volunteers and the hundreds of people who turned out to the event.
“All these (volunteers) here donate their time, and they do it in Michael’s name,” McGinty said. “It means a lot to see families come together to remember Michael … it keeps his name alive.”
Samantha Loewen, 10, of Foxboro couldn’t wait to climb into one of the two bounce houses.
“I like (the event) because there’s a bunch of games and I like the band,” she said.
Local residents Meredith Tuohey and her family mark their calendar for the event every year.
“I absolutely love it,” Tuohey said. “Foxboro is a tight-knit town anyway, and this brings more people together.”
In addition to the fun for the kids, dozens of various items were raffled off, such as two tickets for a New England Patriots game, an Amazon Kindle Fire, and a grill from Fernandes Lumber & Home Center in Easton. There was also a door prize of an LED TV and DVD player from Best Buy.
Proceeds from the event will go to the McGinty Scholarship Foundation, which awards two $2,500 scholarships every year to students who demonstrate a passion for community service, as McGinty did in his lifetime.
