Begin a New Family Holiday Tradition with “Gift of Lights”

For generations, families have enjoyed visiting brightly lit neighborhoods during the holiday season to see the creative and festive displays that bring joy to so many.  This year, there is a fun new way to see holiday light displays in New Hampshire, complete with hot chocolate, holiday music on the radio, and photo opportunities with Santa, all from the comfort of your own car.

Gift of Lights, New Hampshire’s newest holiday light park, is ready to wow folks of all ages at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.  From November 18^th through January 1^st, millions of LED lights will twinkle in hundreds of displays, creating a festive atmosphere that is certain to form lasting memories. The event will feature more than a mile of lights along the racetrack.  Groups can cruise in their own vehicles and listen to holiday songs on the Speedway radio station while admiring the show.  There is even a brilliant tunnel with thousands of lights that seem to chase each other! Read the rest of this entry »

Common Man Family of Restaurants Celebrates 40 Years with Community Gifts

NH Governor John Lynch joins Common Man CEO Jason Lyon, Vice President Diane Downing, and owner Alex Ray in presenting a $40,000 birthday gift to the NH Food Bank's Director of Development Colleen Cowette.

After 40 years of growing from one small restaurant in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire to a well-known and flourishing hospitality business with over 20 locations throughout the state, The Common Man Family is celebrating its birthday by giving back, in a big way, to all the communities it is a part of.

The Common Man Family of Restaurants has always been a leader when it comes to charitable giving, but for its 40^th birthday celebration yesterday, the “C-Man” group outdid itself with a $40,000 donation to the New Hampshire Food Bank in Manchester.  The gift comes at a good time, as the Food Bank is scrambling to get enough food together for the record number of requests it is receiving for Thanksgiving dinners.

Governor Lynch was on hand at the Food Bank celebration to recognize The Common Man family and its leadership in the area of charitable giving.  Representatives from the Common Man also announced plans for a month of festivities, including special promotions and a contest to “DO GOOD” in New Hampshire.

The DO GOOD program is a charitable raffle that will take place during the month of November at all Common Man family locations.  The company has paired each of its 21 establishments with a different New Hampshire non-profit organization, and at every location, customers can buy raffle tickets for $1 a piece for a chance to win a Common Man gift card of $197.10 (to signify the year the first Common Man restaurant opened, 1971).  At each location, a gift card will be awarded, and all proceeds raised will be donated to the partner charity.  In Meredith, Lago is paired with WLNH Children’s Auction, Lakehouse Grille is helping out the New Hampshire Food Bank, and CAMP is supporting the New Hampshire Region of American Red Cross.

According to the C-Man website, “While the Common Man family has grown in physical locations over the years, so too has it’s commitment to local communities by inspiring all of its STARS to live the mantra of “Doing Well by Doing Good.” Each location is charged with holding community fundraisers, and employees are given paid time off to volunteer with non-profit organizations that are important to them. Over the four decades of being a hospitality leader in New Hampshire, the Common Man family has donated hundreds of hours of sweat equity and thousands of dollars in sponsorships, food, and in-kind donations to local, national and international organizations working to make a difference.”

Help the Common Man family celebrate 40 years of success while at the same time helping a variety of NH not-for-profit organizations that give back to the community.  November is the perfect time to renew our commitment to our neighbors as we enjoy a great meal with family and friends!

Carrie Reed
The Mill Falls Blogging Team

photo courtesy of The Common Man Family of Restaurants

additional source:  http://www.wmur.com/news/29674486/detail.html