Pittsfield Kiwanis is Selling Gift Cards for Hollday Fundraiser

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — This holiday season, the Kiwanis Club of Pittsfield will be partnering with gift card fundraiser ShopWithScrip to raise money for projects that support local children.

These gift cards are for more than 750 national retailers and restaurants such as Amazon, Starbucks, and Walmart.

They can be sold in the form of physical gift cards that can be reloaded or electronic gift cards that can be purchased and used on smart phones.

For every gift card purchased, ShopWithScrip pays the club a rebate that they receive from the retailer or restaurant varying from 2 percent to 20 percent. The buyer receives a gift card at full value and the Kiwanis earn money for it.

Every month, the Kiwanis will receive a check with the rebate amount earned that it can then put toward helping local children.  

This is a simple, socially distant way to raise money for the club, as making everyday purchases with these gift cards benefits the Kiwanis.

Just last month, Kiwanis sold more than 400 flags for its 11th annual Park of Honor ceremony at Park Square that benefits scholarships for children and grandchildren of veterans. The club has raised more than $1 million for scholarships in the decade.


"At the holidays, we usually only do the Park of Honor for scholarship fundraising," Kiwanis President Cheryl Tripp Cleveland said. "This year, we had lots of plans for fundraising, but of course this year hasn't been really co-operative."

Because of COVID-19, the club was not able to carry out its big plans for fundraising, which sparked the decision to partner with the gift card fundraising service so that it can raise money in a safe manner.

For many years, the Kiwanis has held a Bike Safety Rodeo and Bike Safety Day at the First Street Common, where free bike helmets were given away and children could enter for the chance to win a new bike.

The Kiwanis normally holds an annual free holiday party for kids that features games, crafts, free refreshments, music, raffles, a special appearance, and a holiday gift for each child.

The organization has also sold pies for fundraising around Easter and Thanksgiving, but weren't able to do so this year.

The enrollment code for this fundraiser is 87866L1775597

For more information call Vickey Pires-Mazzer at 413-822-1390, email vickeymazzer@gmail.com or visit www.pittsfieldkiwanis.org.


Tags: fundraiser,   

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Dalton Man Accused of Kidnapping, Shooting Pittsfield Man

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Dalton man was arrested on Thursday evening after allegedly kidnapping and shooting another man.

Nicholas Lighten, 35, was arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on Friday on multiple charges including kidnapping with a firearm and armed assault with intent to murder. He was booked in Dalton around 11:45 p.m. the previous night.

There was heavy police presence Thursday night in the area of Lighten's East Housatonic Street home before his arrest.

Shortly before 7 p.m., Dalton dispatch received a call from the Pittsfield Police Department requesting that an officer respond to Berkshire Medical Center. Adrian Mclaughlin of Pittsfield claimed that he was shot in the leg by Lighten after an altercation at the defendants home. Mclaughlin drove himself to the hospital and was treated and released with non-life-threatening injuries. 

"We were told that Lighten told Adrian to go down to his basement, where he told Adrian to get down on his knees and pulled out a chain," the police report reads.

"We were told that throughout the struggle with Lighten, Adrian recalls three gunshots."

Dalton PD was advised that Pittsfield had swabbed Mclaughlin for DNA because he reported biting Lighten. A bite mark was later found on Lighten's shoulder. 

Later that night, the victim reportedly was "certain, very certain" that Lighten was his assailant when shown a photo array at the hospital.

According to Dalton Police, an officer was stationed near Lighten's house in an unmarked vehicle and instructed to call over the radio if he left the residence. The Berkshire County Special Response Team was also contacted.

Lighten was under surveillance at his home from about 7:50 p.m. to about 8:40 p.m. when he left the property in a vehicle with Massachusetts plates. Another officer initiated a high-risk motor vehicle stop with the sergeant and response team just past Mill Street on West Housatonic Street, police said, and traffic was stopped on both sides of the road.

Lighten and a passenger were removed from the vehicle and detained. Police reported finding items including a brass knuckle knife, three shell casings wrapped in a rubber glove, and a pair of rubber gloves on him.

The response team entered Lighten's home at 43 East Housatonic before 9:30 p.m. for a protective sweep and cleared the residence before 9:50 p.m., police said. The residence was secured for crime scene investigators.

View Full Story

More Pittsfield Stories