Fairchild named UNICO Community Ambassador

TORRINGTON — The Torrington Chapter of UNICO National named member Patricia Fairchild its 2019 Community Ambassador, with the award presented Wednesday at the organization’s community awards night.

“She is just an amazing person,” said longtime UNICO member Peggy Hotchkiss.

Claiming her Italian heritage from her mother, Mollie (Silano) Sczucka, Fairchild is a lifelong resident of Torrington. She attended St. Peter School and Torrington High School, and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Central Connecticut State University. After working as a teacher in Torrington for 34 years, she retired in 2006, according to UNICO Torrington.

Fairchild was a founding member of the Torrington High School Athletic Hall of Fame, now in its 23rd year. In 2016, she was inducted into the Hall of Fame for her support of and contributions to THS athletics. She has also been a member of the Torrington High School Booster Club since 1991, helping to raise thousands of dollars for THS athletic programs, according to UNICO Torrington.

Fairchild serves as chairwoman of the Torrington Parks and Recreation Commission, where she volunteers at many of the city’s recreational activities including Christmas Village, Light Up Main, Trunk or Treat and the annual July 4 fireworks.

As a member of St. John Paul the Great Parish, Fairchild serves as an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist and is a member of the decorating committee. She previously served as a trustee of St. Peter Parish, was a member of its finance committee and parish council, served as chairwoman of St. Peter school board and volunteered in many roles in support of the school.

In 2008, she received the Archdiocesan St. Joseph Medal of Appreciation for her volunteer work in the parish, according to UNICO Torrington.

Fairchild is a member of Altrusa International of Litchfield County and Xi Zeta Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi, both active service organizations. For more than 25 years, she has been a co-chairwoman of the food, bake sale and raffle portions of the Tim Driscoll St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital Telethon.

In May 2018, she was named Best Supporting Woman in the Role of Fellowship and Service by the Women’s Leadership Initiative of the United Way of Northwest Connecticut.

Fairchild and her husband, Bill, have two adult children and four grandchildren.

Established in 1925, the Torrington Chapter of UNICO is a charitable service organization with a mission to honor Italian heritage and promote a love of community. The chapter is dedicated to advancing educational goals of youth who will become tomorrow’s leaders. To that end, the chapter established the UNICO Scholarship Program in 1954, which provides numerous scholarships for area students.

Students were given scholarships at the chapter’s awards night Wednesday, totaling nearly $29,000.

The chapter also presented community projects grants for more than $10,000 to the following organizations: $2,500 to the Cancer Care Fund for Survivors Day; $2,500 to Torrington Firefighters Association Local 1567 for rescue equipment; $2,500 to Torrington Historical Society; and $2,735 to the Torrington Police Activities League, according to UNICO Torrington.

To learn more about UNICO in Torrington, visit https://www.facebook.com/ torrington. unico. To learn more about its scholarship program, go to https://bit.ly/2IdLMJj.