‘Zip Trip’ series to stop in Bellingham

Boston’s Fox affiliate helping town celebrate 300

BELLINGHAM — Boston 25’s Zip Trip series is coming to Bellingham to help the town celebrate it’s 300th anniversary this year.

The network will broadcast live Friday, Aug. 23 from 6 a.m to 10 a.m at the Bellingham Town Common.

The live broadcast features everything Bellingham, including Bellingham High School sports teams, businesses and places of interest. There will be lots of giveaways for the kids and opportunities to show your face on live television. Additionally, the 300th Anniversary Committee will be giving away snacks and novelties.

Hosted by anchors Gene Lavanchy, Elizabeth Hopkins, Sara Underwood, Daniel Miller, Julie Grauert, meteorologist Shiri Spear and Boston 25 Around Town Host Michele Lazcano, the weekly broadcasts mix live interviews, taped segments and interesting guests. The morning team has visited 235 cities and towns during the long-running Zip Trips series, including Uxbridge and Franklin last year.

The 300th Anniversary Executive Committee’s commemoration of Bellingham’s founding in 1719 kicked off Dec. 31 with a New Year’s eve celebration at the Coachmen’s Lodge followed by several other events, including a 300th anniversary blood

drive initiative in partnership with the American Red Cross, the Knights of Columbus and the Bellingham Public Library.

The year-long goal is to reach a minimum of 300 donated pints by November.

As a kickoff event for Bellingham’s 300th Anniversary, the 300th Anniversary Executive Committee has also launched a fundraising campaign where people can buy ceremonial bricks to be placed at the proposed 300th Anniversary Park in the center of town.

The brick paver program offers an opportunity for residents to purchase a permanent legacy gift for a loved one, a fallen hero or special event in their lives. Bricks with laser engraved inscriptions will be located in a dedicated area of the proposed park, which will be located at the site of the former police station on Mechanic Street. The tricentennial park will also include benches and walkways, flowering trees, a lawn area with shade trees and picnic tables and education signage about storm water management at the Municipal Center.

The five-member 300th Anniversary Executive Committee, which also includes Bernadette Rivard, Sarah Houle, Christine Cooper and Joseph Lyons, has been busy in recent months making sure townspeople and those throughout the Blackstone Valley are aware that Bellingham will be partying it up this year.

The committee has been working since its inception to raise public awareness and to drum up support financial and otherwise for the year-long anniversary celebration, which began Dec. 31 with a kick off New Year’s eve celebration at the Coachmen’s Lodge.

Other anniversary events held so far this year included a 300th Anniversary cake decorating contest; a Story Tale Door Scavenger Hunt; and the Bellingham Old Homes Day Festival held last month.

A Tricentennial Memory Walk will be held Oct. 5; and a fall town-wide pub crawl is scheduled for Oct. 12.

For more information on the ongoing anniversary celebration, visit “Town of Bellingham 300th Anniversary” on Facebook or at www.bellinghamma.org/bellingham-300th-anniversary.

The committee has also created a 300th Anniversary online store at www.xpressionprints.tuosystems.com/stores/xpressionprints-aug21-074438 where you can by anniversary t-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies.