Chicopee Savings donates $250,000 to senior center
Date: 3/22/2013
By G. Michael Dobbs
news@thereminder.comCHICOPEE — The $2 million fundraising goal set for the Friends of Chicopee Senior Citizens received significant help on March 19 — a $250,000 donation by the Chicopee Savings Bank Charitable Foundation.
The revelation of the amount of the gift drew a standing ovation from the approximately 50 people gathered for the announcement at the senior center.
Former Mayor Richard Kos, one of the two chairs of the capital campaign to provide funding for the new senior center, explained the model used by the city for this project was the same as used for the new library and the amount to be raised by the friends group is also the same.
Kos added that raising $2 million "in this environment is going to be a challenge."
Chicopee Savings Bank President William Wagner said, "If you work in a bank, you've got to give back and figure out how you're going to do that."
The bank's charitable foundation was started after the bank issued public stock, he explained.
"This isn't a flash in the pan for us," Wagner said. "This is what we do."
Council on Aging Executive Director Sandra Lapollo said the amount the friends group has raised before the donation was $435,000.
The new senior center will be constructed on the site of the former Facemate factory in Chicopee Falls. The approximately $8 million building will have a groundbreaking on April 8 and is expected to be completed within one year.
